tomorrow night, [ cheers and applause ] this morning on "early today," tragedy in alaska. a former united states senator is among those killed in a small plane crash. fight night. an old rivalry boils over into a bench-clearing brawl in cincinnati. and spell-check. a road pavingrew makes an embarrassing error near a north a road pavingrew makes an embarrassing error near a north carolina school. 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 lynn berry. today we begin with what went wrong. federal investigators will

continue searching for clues at the site of monday's tragic plane crash in the mountains in alaska. five of the nine people onboard were killed, including alaska's beloved senate veteran ted stevens. nbc's leanne gregg has more. >> reporter: this morning, the search for what caused this plane to crash, killing former u.s. senator ted stevens, the longest serving republican in history. >> for he built alaska and he stood for alaska, and he fought for alaskans. >> reporter: stevens and four others were killed traveling to and from fishing lodges when their small plane crashed in a remote area near dillingham, alaska. four survived the crash, including former nasa administrator sean o'keefe and his teenage son kevin. the cause of the crash is under investigation. >> we're looking to see whether or not there were any pilot reports, distress signals, whether there was any signals from an emergency locater. >> reporter: in a twist of fate, stevens survived a plane crash in 1978 that killed five people,

including his first wife. and now more than 30 years later, another crash would take his life along with the lives of four others. leanne gregg, nbc news. well, predictions of doom for establishment candidates this november are being put to the test. in colorado yesterday, incumbent senator michael bennet fended off a primary challenge from former state house speaker andrew romanoff, who had president clinton's endorsement. bennet's victory provided a welcome boost to president obama, who had thrown his political muscle behind the senator. come november bennet will face prosecutor ken buck, the winner of a tight republican primary. in connecticut, former wrestling executive linda mcmahon easily won the republican senate nomination after pouring tens of millions of her own dollars into the race. mcmahon will face and challenge democratic state attorney general richard blumenthal this fall. and in the republican runoff

for georgia governor, former congressman nathan deal is leading former secretary of state karen handel, but that race is too close to call. defying advice from lawyers to keep quiet, new york congressman charles rangel took to the house floor yesterday, making it clear that when it comes to charges against him, he's not going without a fight. a defensive rangel said he's not resigning, despite 13 ethics charges against him from the house ethics committee. he denied he was corrupt and told fellow lawmakers that if they thought he should step down, they should just expel him, the harshest penalty in an ethics case. >> if it is the judgment of people here for whatever reason that i resign, then, heck. have the ethics committee expedite this. don't leave me swinging in the wind until november. >> reacting to rangel, house speaker nancy pelosi made it clear she wasn't pleased with his choice of forum, saying the

ethics committee is the proper forum for ethics matters. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in new york, an elderly man is dead after an out-of-control cab slammed into a bus stop. surveillance footage shows a minivan driver trying to make an illegal u-turn when he sideswipes a livery cab, which then hit seven people waiting for a bus. charges are pending against the minivan driver, who was then taken into custody. texas police are investigating what caused a city bus to crash into a day care building. fortunately no one was inside when the bus smashed into the building after colliding with an suv. police suspect one of the drivers may have run a red light. also in texas, a local zoo is showing off a group of newborn flamingos that are growing up fast. within the next three months, zoo officials are expecting them to sprout from a height of about ten inches to over three feet.

they will develop their signature pink color over time from the food they eat. and in north carolina, huge block letters spell out an embarrassing mistake in front of a school. that's s-c-h-o-o-l, not s-h-c-o-o-l. well, of course, the north carolina department of transportation isn't taking the blame on this one, saying it was a subcontractor who misspelled the word. that subcontractor says they are already working to fix the problem. well, now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. hopefully they get that done before school starts. not a good example. >> that's a lot of whiteout. a lot of places have started school around the country. the southern half of the nature, it's hot. that continues to be the big, big story out there. from arizona all the way through the middle of the heartland, all the way in red was 90 plus.

much of the country with the exception of the northern half and the rockies, and, of course, the west coast where it continues to be one of the coolest summers on record, whereas the opposite happens in much of the country. yesterday only 85 in sacramento. seattle was barely got up into the 70s. they called it june gloom, clouds lingering on the coast. by july and august that usually stops. june gloom existed for much of the entire summer. that should continue today. the reason is on-shore flow. that means that the breeze is coming from the water. that's where the temperatures are cooler, of course. so that's why we have the clouds that bump up against the coast. all because of the big dip in the jet stream. this hasn't changed in a while. big huge trough off the west coast. but it looks like finally by the weekend things are going to change. you'll notice as we go throughout the next couple of days, temperatures should be warming up in almost all locations of the west coast. especially up here in the pacific northwest. today is going to be 76. in seattle. 85 in medford, a shower or two.

l.a. should be sunny and 77, t 81. partly cloudy skies flagstaff, arizona not bad, also partly cloudy skies and 81 degrees. they can leave their umbrella at home. everyone in the northwest will finally be able to take and wear those summer clothing. a lot haven't been able to wear shorts and t-shirts. >> it's about time. it's august. summer is almost over. >> a kick to the end of the summer. >> bill, thanks well, the fed speaks up, disney's numbers are up, and a lemonade stand that really pays off. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, are ashton kutcher's box office credentials being dissed by a major studio? push comes to shove between the reds and cards, and the

worst boyfriend in baseball history. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry, and here are some of your top headlines this morning. a jetblue flight attendant who argued with a passenger and then made a dramatic exit using the plane's emergency slide is now free on $2,500 bail. steven slater, whose story has actually resonated with a lot of people is facing several charges, including criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. he could get up to seven years in prison. smog and wildfires in russia are forcing evacuations at the u.s. embassy in moscow. american tourists have also been urged to postpone travel there. just yesterday prime minister vladimir putin got a first-hand look at firefighting efforts, which include attempts to

prevent the flames from engulfing nuclear sites. the wildfires have killed over 50 people. an island of ice that's more than four times the size of manhattan is floating in the arctic and threatening oil platforms. the chunk of ice broke off from a glacier in greenland last week. at a hundred square miles, it's the biggest arctic ice island in half a century. >> take a look at this woman. she's 101 years old from nebraska has been chosen as america's outstanding oldest worker for 2010. sally golden's career has taken her from modeling to politics. she's been working for nebraska's legislature for the last 26 years and has no plans to retire. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,644 after falling 54 points yesterday. the s&p dipped 6, and the nasdaq

dropped 28. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei lost 258 points, while in hong kong, the hang seng fell 179. the nation's central bank is officially up to speed on the pace of the nation's stalled economic recovery. using carefully crafted words, the fed said yesterday the current recovery has, quote, slowed in recent months, an about-face from its statement in june that the recovery was, quote, proceeding. now, instead of rolling back stimulus efforts, the fed plans to buy up $10 billion in government debt and keep its benchmark interest rate near zero. markets staged a small comeback after the news, but skeptical investors pulled back before the bell. still historical safe bets, health care and consumer stocks, turned a profit. overseas this morning the fed steps pushed the dollar dangerously close to a 15-year low against the yen. japan's stronger currency sent the nikkei tumbling 2%. back home, hefty federal

fines aimed at cracking down on tarmac delays appear to be working. just three flights sat on the tarmac longer than three hours in june compared to a whopping 268 last year. netflix is spending nearly $1 billion to add movies from paramount, lionsgate, and mgm to its online library starting in september. keep an eye on disney shares today. after the bell, the company posted a profit 40% higher than last year's. and, finally, speaking of happy endings, it looks like one little entrepreneur will have one. 7-year-old julie murphy's lemonade stand was shut down last month because she didn't have a food safety license. now, thanks to a local business that let her set up shop for a day, she has $2,000 and plans to go to disneyland. have fun! well, a bench-clearing brawl, phenom flops, and the rangers win in extras. plus, at least where this baseball fan is concerned,

chivalry may very well be dead. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. dangerous heat in the middle of the country continues, and in the pacific northwest, we finally warm you up. your wednesday forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, nothing spells sportsmanship like a bench-clearing brawl in the first inning of a professional baseball game.

here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. i think we can agree here. every good rivalry needs a little trash talking, and the reds' brandon phillips has said a mouthful. he told reporters that he hates the cardinals. so yesterday the two teams did more than just talk. before a pitch is even thrown, phillips and cards catcher yadier molina started jawing at each other at home plate. that's it. here they come. initially there wasn't much to it until managers dusty baker and tony la russa had a few choice words. historically they don't like each other. chris carpenter then came in and said something to baker, and now it's on. the entire crowd went crashing into the backstop. the reds' johnny cueto with his back to the fence tried to kick himself out of the crowd. when it was all said and done, baker and la russa, the only ones ejected. and after all that, they still had to play the game. the cards won it, 8-4. nashville's stephen strasburg made his return from the dl, but perhaps he should have stayed a little bit longer. dan uggla took the rookie deep in the first inning. 2-0, marlins, and it got worse

from there. six runs over 4 1/3, worst outing of his young career. marlins won it, 8-2. yanks and rangers needed extra innings. sacks full. david murphy against mariano rivera, and murphy won that. game-winning single into the gap. the rangers won it, 4-3 in ten. now, a great play to show you from the indians. asdrubal cabrera, the comebacker hit the pitcher in the leg. cabrera falling down, managed to bury the ball and threw out the runner at first by the seat of his pants. unfortunately, not enough. the orioles won again, 14-8. and if you missed it the other night, here it is, astros and braves. now watch the young man dodge a foul ground. bam! he hit his girlfriend right in the arm. well done, guy. you're supposed to be there to protect her, not run away. the guy said he lost it in the light. one thing's for sure. chivalry is officially dead. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. well, a former "american idol" winner is hospitalized after an overdose. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, with thousands of

hotel rooms to clean in las vegas, you've got to work fast. who's the fastest? you're watching "early today."

the forecast in the extended peri periodis better. dry in the west and cool. once we get to thursday and friday, things will heat up a little bit. significantly, too. notice tomorrow, this is the

focus tomorrow. 84 in portland, 81 in seattle. everyone has been waiting forth warm-up. as we go into friday, look at this. temperature in portland 93, medford 100. a little blast of heat up this in the pacific northwest. unfortunately it still looks like the clouds will linger in the on-shore flow further to the south. southern california, i think for los angeles i was looking, this weekend the heat will return to your area. if you're watching on kntr 16 in eugene, oregon, you don't want to walk a mile in these historic shoes. but catch them and others at fancy footwear at the newseum of natural and cultural history. that's your pacific event of the day, lynn. >> bill, thanks. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. former "american idol" winner fantasia barrino is expected to be released from a hospital soon after taking an overdose of aspirin and sleep aids monday night. under intense media attention recently, after a lawsuit accused her of carrying on a relationship with a married man,

fantasia's manager says she was overwhelmed, exhausted, and dehydrated, but she'll be fine. "in touch weekly" quotes sources who say despite her relationship with dallas cowboys' miles austin, kim kardashian is still seeing portuguese soccer star cristiano ronaldo. lionsgate studio is publicly blaming the recent flop of "killers" starring katherine heigl and ashton kutcher for its current financial woes and its vulnerability to hostile takeover bids. heigl has a very successful track record, so hollywood's buzzing that lionsgate's complaints are squarely directed at kutcher. and, finally, upon hearing levi johnston's plan to run for mayor of wasilla, alaska, for a reality tv show, tmz reports the real mayor had this advice for johnston, quote, get your high school diploma, and keep your clothes on, which just in general would be good advice for

everyone. >> i think the reality show would be good. >> really, bill? he's going to be shaking hands and kissing babies probably all over town. >> you know people would watch. if people are watching jersey housewives thinking this is good tv. >> this is the danger of reality shoes. that's right, bill. this comes from ksnv channel 3 in las vegas where workers from the city's best hotels put their skills to the test at this year's housekeeping olympics. guest room attendants and porters showed off their stuff, everything from fastest bed-making to mop competition. bragging rights weren't the only thing in line. first-place winners receive a brand-new queensize bed and sheets, second took home a new vacuum, and third-place finisher got free dinner or a show. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station.

students in japan are certainly reaching for the stars. the competition between budding engineers from around the world may lead to the world's first space elevator. teams attach mechanical climbers to travel up cables suspended 900 feet in the air. the hope is that technology would eventually lead to transporting people and goods into space at a drastically lower cost. well, one environmentalist has taken melting ice caps into his own hands. a german physicist is creating an artificial glacier in the swiss alps. using a sprinkler system and water from nearby streams, he hopes to prove that this can be done at a low cost. while some call it just a block of ice, this inventor hopes to

boost tourism and a water supply. a routine traffic stop in new york quickly became anything but. police say inside the driver's trunk was a live cat literally marinating in a mixture of spices. the unthinkable abuse, according to police, was to teach the cat a lesson. but thankfully there is a happy ending here. the 4-year-old kitty has been adopted by caring owners and the driver was charged with animal cruelty. you know, bill, there are so many things about this story that are just so disturbing. >> i think let's teach him a lesson. >> yeah. >> maybe put him in barbecue sauce for a couple weeks. >> no kidding. >> or, you know, something spicier. >> something stronger than animal cruelty charges. >> hot sauce. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. with the new school year just beginning, education leaders will be meeting in washington to discuss bullying as the education department holds its first bullying summit. muslims begin celebrating

ramadan, the holiest month on the islamic calendar. muslims around the world will spend the next four weeks fasting from daylight to sunset. and an elaborate 80th birthday bash is in store for embattled congressman charles rangel. the invitation list is packed with high-profile guests, but it's unclear who will actually show with rangel facing 13 ethics charges. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and 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 live report from anchorage with the very latest on that tragic alaska plane crash. and jenna bush tags along with her father, former president george w. bush, on a visit to earthquake-ravaged haiti. and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports, and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. have a good one.