"jimmy fallon" happening right [ cheers and applause ] this morning on "early today," taking responsibility. exiting bp chief tony hayward opens up about his mistakes and the gulf coast oil disaster. employee of the month. a cell phone store worker goes after a gun-toting robbery suspect. and a jaw dropper of an auction. how much a set of dentures belonging to winston churchill how much a set of dentures belonging to winston churchill went for. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. welcome to our viewers across the nation, including the pacific time zone.

i'm veronica de la cruz. today we begin with accepting the blame. in his first interview since agreeing to step down as ceo of bp, tony hayward, the man america has grown to hate in the wake of the gulf coast oil spill, now sounds resigned to his place in history as, in his words, the villain. hayward told "the wall street journal," quote, i understand that people find it easier to vilify an individual more than a company. he also admitted some of his comments, particularly about wanting his life back, were wrong. but hayward is unrepentant about his actions, insisting he immediately took responsibility and spent billions both to stop the spewing oil and clean the shoreline. as for the obama administration, hayward says he resented the daily criticism but added, quote, i understood their frustration. after failing to broker a last-minute deal, veteran new york democrat congressman charlie rangel was formally charged yesterday with 13 counts of violating house ethics rules. topping the long list of alleged violations, asking for corporate donations for a school being named after him from businesses that later appeared in front of

his committee and failing to pay taxes and report all of his income. the house committee said rangel's financial dealings broke the, quote, public trust. a possible trial could begin as early as september. the house has rejected a bill that would have provided more than $7 billion in aid for ground zero responders who fell ill after the 9/11 attacks. the measure would have granted free health care and compensation payments to rescue workers who became sick after working in the world trade center ruins, but yesterday it failed to win the 2/3 majority needed to bring the bill to the house floor. republican opponents say it amounted to a big government entitlement program that would have led to potential job losses and increased taxes. in a setback to president obama's jobs agenda, senate republicans have blocked a $30 billion plan to help small businesses. democrats say the fund, which also included more than $12 billion in tax breaks, would have encouraged banks to increase cash flow to small businesses. but some republicans who complained about not being able to amend the package likened it

to the unpopular bailout of the financial industry. senate leaders say they will continue to negotiate, but yesterday's vote makes it all but impossible to pass a bill before congress goes on summer recess at the end of next week. the day after a federal judge blocked some of the most controversial elements of arizona's new immigration law, the debate over the issue continues to rage on. protesters of the law made their voices heard around the country yesterday with the epicenter focused in phoenix where dozens were arrested outside its jail downtown. the judge in the case, susan bolton, has even received hate mail and threats over the issue. meanwhile, the state of arizona, led by governor jan brewer, wasted no time in filing a federal appeal of wednesday's ruling, asking an appeals court to lift bolton's order, which blocks the most controversial elements of the state's new law. >> all right. here is a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in chicago a cell phone store employee is being called a hero for fighting off an armed robber.

surveillance video shows the thief point a gun at a female customer and her young child after he thought she pulled out a cell phone to call police. that's when the clerk wrestled with the suspect and took his gun. police are now searching for the robber who got away with $83. a minnesota mother and her two children are safe after the mother lost control of her vehicle and plunged into a pond. water was pouring into the car when a highway first responder rushed to the scene. officials say he jumped into the neck-deep water and was able to get everyone out safely. and in florida, it was a close call for a group of golfers who saw a 30-pound chunk of ice fall from the sky and then land on the fairway. aviation officials are now investigating whether it came from a plane landing at a nearby airport. some athletes in pennsylvania are putting their own spin on the olympics. they recently held a summer redneck games challenge with events which included carrying corn bags through an obstacle course and then throwing hay

bales. and forget those gold medals because these boys battled out for cold hard cash. and onnow for a look at your national and regional weather, here is bill karins with a look at your forecast. bill, could you see me doing that? >> i could. >>ing] there the bales of hay? >> i could. >> i could never compete in those games. >> that's a different story. you still could do it. let's chat about yesterday, veronica. yesterday was a cool day on the coast. we're stuck in a weather pattern. talked to weather services around the country and they give an opinion of their local areas. in san francisco, the quote was nothing to see here, keep moving along. there seems to be the same stagnant weather pattern. 67 was the high in san francisco. near sacramento we were more or less in the 80s. that's doing to continue to be the story as we go throughout

the weekend. more of the same. we have a lot of clouds and monsoonal moisture that at night is flaring up over new mexico and arizona with showers and storms that dissipates during the morning. we heat it up and do it all over again. kind of stuck in a rut. what you see is what you get. unfortunately for those people in dallas, 100 for the next week straight. a chance of shower by spokane, a little moisture in the north. we may see drizzle in areas of seattle. right now call for 74, 80 in portland, 91 in medford. warm in vegas, 103. not as hot as you were earlier this week. we're still very cool right along the coastal areas. we're going to be unseasonably cool.

same outlook as everyone on the coast. in the morning, clouds, you burn them off, a little sun late in the day. that's why you're only going to heat up to 64. nice day in roseburg, 85 and 70. i really kind of ruined it veronica by telling everyone not much is going to change but i'm still obligated to give the friday forecast. >> what is it? nothing to see here, keep moving along. >> thanks, bill. techs wobble, citigroup pays up, and more recalls from toyota. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, steve carell is funny, there is no question about it, but is his latest film too mean? >> the phillies get their man, the padres trade for an mvp, and beware of the claw. you're watching "early today."

well, good morning to you and welcome back to "early today." i'm veronica de la cruz. and here are some of your top headlines this morning. in mexico authorities say that one of the most powerful drug lords was killed during a shootout with soldiers yesterday. ignacio or nacho coronel was infamous for producing massive amounts of highly addictive methamphetamines in mexico and smuggling them into the united states. in afghanistan this month has become the deadliest for american forces in the nearly nine-year war. nato officials say three american troops were killed in two separate blasts in the southern part of the country yesterday. that brings july's death toll to at least 63. saying she didn't feel it was the right fit, ellen degeneres has announced she's leaving her job as judge on "american idol" after just one year. the move has led to widespread speculation that the show, which has sagging ratings and already lost judge simon cowell at the end of last season will now replace all of the show's judges. jennifer lopez and jessica simpson are said to be

contenders. and here's something to chew on. a partial set of dentures that belonged to former british leader winston churchill sold at auction yesterday for nearly $24,000. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,467 after falling 30 points yesterday. the s&p was down 4 points, and the nasdaq dropped 12. taking a look at overseas trading this morning in tokyo, the nikkei tumbled 158 points, while in hong kong the hang seng lost 64. tech weakness and worries about the recovery dogged wall street on thursday. nvidia and symantec both cut expectations for the next quarter, raising questions about demand for technology and components. nvidia fell almost 10%, and symantec dropped more than 11%. also pressuring stocks early, st. louis federal bank president james bullard who said he was worried the united states could be falling into a japan-style quagmire of falling prices and investment. another thing making traders uneasy, today's first reading on

gross domestic product for the april-to-june quarter. with a recovery appearing to be losing stream, today's gdp number is widely expected to stoke concerns the u.s. could be heading into a double dip recession. consumer staples were hammered thursday. kellogg lowered its guidance after reporting a lackluster second quarter, shares fell almost 7%. colgate-palmolive shares sank thursday after posting revenue below expectations and a lower forecast, mainly thanks to its largest latin american market, venezuela, devaluing its currency. on the plus side, southwest airlines, the nation's biggest discount airline, beat analysts' expectations. and elsewhere, walt disney is selling miramax films to film yard holding investor group for about $660 million, ending a 17-year association with the studio. miramax says the oscar film library is full of prestigious films like "goodwill hunting." elsewhere, citigroup will pay

$75 million to settle civil charges that it mislead investors about its sub prime mortgages in 2007. and toyota is recalling -- again, this time nearly half a million cars, most of them large sedans sold in the u.s. for problems that cause the steering wheel to lock up. and, finally, a south carolina woman complained to police last week after she took her car to a mechanic because it suddenly stopped running. the mechanic told police he found a cheeseburger and pickle inside the car's gas tank. yeah, i think that will do it. well, trades galore, walk-offs galore, and an unusual new player celebration. plus, the yankees' robinson cano continues his all-star season. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. >> while the summer heat wave gets worse in areas of texas, the west coast remains relatively quiet into the weekend. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, despite their problems this season, yesterday the philadelphia phillies showed they are very serious about staying in contention. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. it is deja vu for the philadelphia phillies. last season they picked up an ace right before the trade deadline. this year, what do you know. they picked up another ace right before the trade deadline. they did acquire right-hander roy oswalt from the houston

astros for two prospects and pitcher j.a. happ. oswalt had to waive his no-trade clause, and the astros picked up $11 million of his deal. then it worked. he'll join roy halladay and cole hamel to form one of the most dominant pitching rotations in the league. texas rangers also made a splash. they traded two minor leaguers to the florida marlins for infielder jorge cantu. he gives the rangers depth after placing second baseman ian kinsler on the disabled list. and speaking of infielders, the padres acquired miguel tejada from the baltimore orioles for a minor leaguer. the one-time mvp is now 36. he'll provide veteran leadership for a young padre team. enough with the trades. let's play. phils and diamondbacks, 11th inning. wilson valdez ended this one with an rbi single. not a bad day for the phils. they won, 3-2. oswalt expected to pitch tonight. another walkoff. this one in the west, padres and dodgers. oscar salazar with a cue shot up the middle. in came the winning run. padres won it, 3-2. they have a 3 1/2-game lead in the west. the yanks' alex rodriguez remains stuck on 599 homers. perhaps he should take notes from robinson cano.

belted his second homer in as many days. yanks beat the indians, 11-4. finally, you know things are going well for a team when they come up with inside jokes or maybe a secret handshake. for the rangers, it's the claw. the gesture is kind of like a high five. rookie mitch moreland had his first experience with the claw against the a's. after his first big league hit, look at the dugout. come on, rook. show us some love. we want the claw. and there it is. the a's fought the claw, but the claw won, 7-4. that's your early look at sports on "early today." have a terrific weekend. i'm fred roggin. well, can anyone knock off leo at the box office? your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, when you buy a used vehicle, it's the engine that's supposed to purr like a kitten. we'll explain. you're watching "early today."

here is a look at your friday forecast on the west coast. 91 in medford. a little warm but should be a very nice day in interior sections of california. not too hot. but cool on the coast once again. not much is new. as we go through the weekend, maybe occasional drizzle up there in the pacific northwest, the closer you are to the water. we're also watching warm conditions from salt lake city to boise to vegas. snowing is going to change there. even into sunday we'll continue

to watch temperatures, seasonal if not below average in many areas. los angeles on the coast, san francisco. if you're 10 to 20 miles inland it's a lot better but right on the coast you're stuck in the june gloom at the end of july. >> well, if you're watching on k nbc, nbc's, learn about the fascinating life of one socialable cat when you enter the wild and sigh the lion at the los angeles zoo. that's your beautiful event of the day. >> definitely the weather for it. thank you. here's a look at your morning's headlines in entertainment now. there's going to be lots of action at the box office this weekend, just not when it comes to the top spot. analysts are practically unanimous. leo dicaprio's big hit, "inception," is all but certain to finish on top again with about $30 million. and then things get interesting. the dimwit comedy "dinner for schmucks" has steve carell and paul rudd going for it. research shows guys are

interested, but will the women come along? if the women show, it's going to finish second with about $25 million. and then if they don't, it could be an official flop. angelina jolie's spy thriller "salt" will compete with somewhere over $20 million. and a combination of terrible reviews, lowbrow humor, and the talking animal genre being a bit played out should keep the debut of "cats & dogs: the revenge of kitty galore" well under $20 million. finally, as for actor zac efron's so-called serious acting debut in "charlie st. cloud," experts think only teen girls will care, and don't expect much more than $10 million. i don't know about you. but i'm looking forward to the steve carell movie. >> that one has potential bomb written all over it. he's been on such a roll, you just wonder if it's going to catch. >> paul rudd as well. i was just watching "knocked up." those two keep me laughing. >> you know, the "40-year-old

virgin," was that the peak? maybe it's downhill. those were hysterical. >> don't say that. the best is yet to come. this comes to us now from whag in hagerstown, maryland, where in a nearby town, a man got a little more than he bargained for when he bought a used van. several days after driving it home, he discovered a little tiny 5-week-old kitten living in the spare tire. he believes the mother was also living there, but jumped out when the van started moving. although the kitten was dehydrated and covered with oil, it has since made a full recovery and now goes by the name lucky. too cute. so cute. >> are you a cat person? >> you know, i'm allergic. i would be if i wasn't allergic but i do think they are cute. >> see, that's very nice of you. >> thanks, bill. i'm veronica de la cruz and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station.

one annual festival in morocco honors some not so noblemen. the festival is dedicated to the barbary corsairs' seafaring pirates who plundered european ships and villages between in the middle ages in the 19th century. dancers, musicians, and acrobats took part in the dazzling production set against the city's ancient forts and punctuated by a pyrotechnic spectacle. beautiful. kids in gaza tried to break a record yesterday by filling the sky with kites. thousands attempted to break their own world record for flying the most amount of kites simultaneously. they claim to have done it with 6,302 kites up in the air at the same time.

last week, more than 7,000 palestinian kids broke the record for simultaneous basketball dribbling. and one grandmother looking for a pet to share with her grandkids got way more than she bargained for. she thought ralph was a normal rabbit until her vet informed her his breed was the continental giant. take a look. 18 months old, he now measures over 3 feet, weighs over 40 pounds, and eats -- get this -- about $35 worth of food every week. $35 worth of food. what are they feeding him? steak? what does he get? >> have you ever had a pet bunny? >> i haven't. >> did you ever want one? >> always. i still do. just one a little smaller. >> exactly. time now for a look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. we're going to get a look at how the economy faired last quarter when the government unveils its first estimate of the nation's growth domestic product.

economists expect gdp from april to june to reflect an economic slowdown in recovery. and in detroit, president obama pays a visit to the chrysler and gm auto plants where he will talk up jobs and both automakers' repayment of billions in federal bailout funds. >> and miss iowa throws out the first pitch at the washington nationals game. earlier this week a player joked about miss iowa. tonight she is showing there are no hard feelings. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories as well as others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. a "today" exclusive. meet the couple who survived a bear attack at a campground near yellowstone national park. and live on the plaza, "american idol" champ and five-time grammy winner carrie underwood. she takes the stage on "today." all right. and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports, and so much more. i'm veronica de la cruz. thanks for watching "early

today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. have a great weekend!