i want to thank my guests, tomorrow night, mickey rourke "jimmy fallon" happening right see you tomorrow. pp this morning on "early today," wall street woes. stocks take a dive, while a new poll shows americans don't believe in the recovery. behind the meltdown. the jetblue flight attendant who bailed out down an emergency chute speaks out. and surprise surf. a california surfer gets an up-close view of two great white sharks. 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. and today we begin with economic breakdown. a few months ago, the u.s.

economy appeared to be on its way to recovery. now with the federal reserve and wall street having their doubts, according to a new nbc news "wall street journal" poll, american people are sharing those same suspicions. nbc news kristen dahlgren joins us live now from washington, d.c. with more. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you, lynn. yeah, july now marks the eighth straight month that the number of foreclosures has increased over last year. couple that with unemployment, and a lot of americans are beginning to feel like we haven't yet hit bottom. in prince georges county, maryland, 3,000 would-be firefighters fought over just 94 jobs. >> we had to split off the testing process over two days, inviting 750 people to each written test period. >> reporter: across the country in los angeles, job fair attendees faired about the same. >> most employers are still laying off jobs -- laying off their employees. >> reporter: for many, economic woes continue to hit home. the number of homes lost to

foreclosure surged again in july as lenders took back almost 93,000 properties, up 9% from june. >> i think that a lot of people are a little bit nervous. they hear about the shadow inventory, which are all of the not-yet-foreclosed-upon houses. >> reporter: in a new nbc/"wall street journal" poll, only 29% of respondents felt that the economy has hit bottom. 64% say there is still a way to go. >> i believe if an american company wants to innovate, grow and create jobs right here in the united states, we should give them the support they need to do it. >> reporter: but for many americans, support for all political parties is waning as worries grow that things could get even worse. and the president's marks on the economy are dropping as well. 52% of americans now disapprove of the way he is handling the economy, lynn. >> kristen dahlgren in washington.

kristen, thank you. >> you bet. and meanwhile, that nbc/"wall street journal" poll that kristen just mentioned also shows that americans are not exactly pleased with the commander in chief. less than half the country is happy with how president obama is handling his job. just 47% approve, although that's actually up two points from june. the survey also shows particularly grim numbers for congress. a whopping 72% disapprove of the job it's doing. the jetblue flight attendant who shot into the national spotlight this week for his dramatic exit from a plane is opening up about his new cult hero status. in an interview with nbc's jeff rossen yesterday, steven slater talked about the media uproar that ensued after he cursed out passengers on a plane, grabbed some beers, deployed the emergency exit, and slid down the inflatable chute. >> reporter: what do you want to say to all the people who are calling you sort of a working-class hero? >> i'm a little overwhelmed. it's something i had no idea that was going on out there. >> reporter: any regrets?

that face says it all, huh? >> and when "the new york times" caught up with him, slater also revealed that he had considered the emergency slide exit for more than two decades. >> reporter: did you have the whole chute thing planned -- >> oh, yeah. i thought about it for 20 years. we thought about it, but you never think you're going to do it. >> until you do. well, now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in georgia, a testament to tough economic times. an estimated crush of 30,000 people unexpectedly turned out yesterday in hopes of getting on a wait list for public housing. the crowd was three times larger than expected, leading to chaotic moments as people started pushing and shoving. officials say the hot weather also led to more than 60 people needing medical attention. in california, one surfer had a close encounter with great white sharks twice. the day before this video was shot, the surfer and some friends got a surprise visit from two sharks. the very next day, the surfer

encountered another shark that circled him for about ten minutes before swimming away. one chicago family is bursting with joy after four sisters gave birth just 36 hours apart. three of the sisters even shared the same physician. the fourth lives in california. the family says this is all just a huge coincidence. of course, none of it was planned. all four babies are healthy and all four moms are doing well. and in ohio, there was another special well-timed delivery. ella rose. she was born on august 9th, 2010. that's 08-09-10. but it doesn't end there. mom was brought into the hospital that morning to be induced. she fought through intense labor the entire day, but ella rose decided she wasn't coming out until 11:12 that night. good way to start off. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc's meteorologist bill

karins with the weather channel forecast. did you just stomp your foot? >> i had to think about that, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. >> i think she pretty much nailed it on getting -- >> i know she did. congratulations to the nice couple. let's talk and show you what's happening out there around the country, because we are finally seeing the warm-up we've been so anticipating in the pacific northwest. our little storm system is going to kick out here, high pressure is going to build in, and finally, we're going to get winds that aren't off the water, and that's going to warm things up in a hurry. still low pressure sitting in northern utah, southern idaho, a little shower activity associated with that, but overall, the warm air is building in. it's also warm in the desert areas, as you would suspect. unfortunately, the position of this high pressure is not going to end the onshore flow down here in southern california, at least not yet. i think we have to wait for this weekend for you to get the warm-up. so, temperatures with the clear skies are on the cool side. phoenix is 93 and vegas is in

the 80s, but everyone else for the most part is in the 50s or the 60s. so it's a cool start to your morning, but this afternoon looks really nice, from medford to portland. sunny, 84, 91. look at seattle, 79. that's not bad. then tomorrow it's going to be even warmer. as i mentioned, still kind of coolish down by san francisco and l.a., temperatures stuck in the upper 60s to low 70s. and even for you, i think this is kind of the end. i think we're going to get to a different weather pattern here and afternoon sunshine and same thing for the crescent city. all right, lynn, i've teased enough with the warm temperatures. we'll give you the forecast for friday and saturday a little later. >> thanks, bill. also coming up, doubts grow on wall street while share prices fall. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, she's riding high right now, but taking criticism from someone who's been there before.

yankees rally, and back-to- back to back-to-back home runs, and we'll be right back. 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 military tribunal has sentenced osama bin laden's former cook to 14 years in prison, but he will likely get less time under a plea deal. he's pleaded guilty to supporting terrorism, becoming just the fourth guantanamo detainee to be convicted since the prison opened in 2002. after 11 days of deliberations in the trial of former illinois governor rod blagojevich, jurors have sent a note to the judge indicating they haven't been able to agree on at least some of the charges. the judge sent a message back seeking clarification. blagojevich is facing 24 counts, including intending to profit from his ability to appoint a

successor to president obama's vacated senate seat. a man dubbed the "granddad bandit," suspected in 25 bank robberies in over a dozen states, has been captured. the 52-year-old surrendered after a standoff at his louisiana home. the fbi says the "granddad bandit" nickname was devised to help police and the public easily identify the suspect, although it's not clear if he's actually a grandfather. and the "cathy" comic strip will end its run in october. after more that be than three decades of poking fun at the trials and tribulations women face at work, dating and at the mall, the iconic strip's creator says she wants to spend more time with her family. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,378 after tumbling 265 points yesterday. the s&p lost 31. the nasdaq dropped 68. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei fell 80 points while

in hong kong, the hang seng lost 188. yesterday's financial news and economic data did nothing but fuel wall street's uncertain mood. a string of reports signaling a slowdown in china's growth triggered the day's downward trend. meanwhile, fresh news of a drop in exports here at home added fuel to the fed's "more modest" take on the economy. investors bought up u.s. treasuries, and by day's end, the sweeping sell-off wiped out the dow's gains for the year. today, keep an eye on cisco. the tech heavyweight echoed the street's sentiment yesterday, warning of a, quote, unusual uncertainty in the economy. cisco shares fell 8% after the bell. word on the street is general motors could file for an initial public offering as early as tomorrow, clearing the way for uncle sam to start unloading its 61% stake in the automaker. our sister network, cnbc, also reports gm is lining up a $5

billion safety net from several major banks. prudential financial is under fire for allegedly failing to pay out life insurance policies to families of fallen soldiers, sending its shares 4% lower. macy's was a rare bright spot yesterday, ticking higher, thanks to upbeat second-quarter earnings. tivo subscribers who get their cable from cox communications will soon have easier access to digital on-demand content thanks to a new partnership between the two companies. and, finally, a surprising new trend at cemeteries. due to the recent rise in the number of cremations, graveyard owners are opening their gates to lively parties to attract future customers, including summer concerts, securities and exchanger scavenger hunts and even weddings. well, the red sox bopped the jays, the angels smacked the royals, and the braves slammed the astros. plus, the diamondbacks rack up a record for round-trippers. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead.

dangerous heat continues in the hartland, and finally our friends in the pacific northwest, a nice little summer warm-up for you. your thursday forecast is right around the corner. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, one night after mounting a late-inning comeback over the yankees, the texas

rangers fell victim to the late comeback themselves. here's nbc's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. hi, there, good morning. the texas rangers thought they had the game in the bag until the yankees showed why they are the best team in baseball. in texas, the yankees down by five runs, but complete the rally in the ninth. derek jeter with a seeing-eye single up the middle. and that scores curtis granderson to tie the game at six. moments later, marcus thames puts the bronx bombers on top, rbi single to give the yankees a 7-6 lead. yanks become the first team to win 70 games this season with a 7-6 come-from-behind win. the red sox brought a hit parade to toronto. bill hall hit two home runs against the blue jays, one in the second inning, the other in the fifth. j.d. drew and adrian beltre also left the park. sox win, 10-1. out west, angels and royals needed extra innings. bobby abreu ends it with a towering walk-off homer in the tenth. halos sweep kc with a 2-1 win. the mets may be third in the nl east, but they're number one in something. they have given up more grand

slams than any other team in baseball. the rockies' melvin mora are doing the honors. colorado wins it, 6-2. speaking of grand slams, atlanta's brian mccann hits one in the tenth inning against the astros. braves score six runs in the frame after houston tied the game in the ninth. braves win, 8-2. and, finally, if you thought that was a lot of home runs, you haven't seen anything yet. the d'backs had a home run derby of their own against the brewers. adam laroche gets it started. miguel montero following suit with a homer of his own. mark reynolds joins the act with his 26th, and then stephen drew caps off the craziness with yet another homer. arizona ties a major league record with four straight homers. they win, 8-2. and that's your look at sports on "early today." i'm mario solis. well, wait until you hear about leonardo dicaprio's incredible contract for "inception." your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, the sydney olympics were ten years ago, but nevertheless, the u.s. just upped its medal count. we'll explain. you're watching "early today."

well, welcome back. i'm here with good news for your forecast in the northwest. it's going to feel like summer. it's going to be beautiful out there. in areas of california and the coast will slowly improve in the next three days. here's the forecast today. there's really no wet weather in sight. cooler for you in salt lake city. notice the temperature. today 79 in seattle, tomorrow 85 beautiful degrees. the humidity will be low, too.

portland at 92. that's getting a little bit on the hot side. 97 in medford. even southern california's going to notice a good warm-up as we go into saturday. we should see about 106 in vegas. notice the northwest, 96 on portland on saturday and medford around 100. so, a little taste of summer. got to like it. well, if you're watching us on kttv newschannel 7 in boise, idaho, bring a blanket and enjoy the outdoors with live swing music and great food. that's the great garden escape concert series at the idaho botanical garden. that's your "pacific event of the day." ever learn how to swing dance? >> i did, in high school we had a swing dancing class. >> did you? >> what about you? >> never did. teach me some moves later. >> all right, i will. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. a former pop icon is calling out lady gaga for her recent admission about drug use. in her recent "vanity fair" cover story, lady gaga reveals that she sometimes uses cocaine,

"a couple of times a year." well, boy george, a former drug addict, wonders why she would admit that publically. quoting his mom's reaction, who said, "she's reached the stage where she feels untouchable. you all get there." elsewhere, "people" reports jennifer lopez is out as a judge at "american idol," because according to a source, "her demands got out of hand." paris hilton is being sued for $35 million by a hair extension company, which claims they paid her millions only to see her wearing competing hair extension products. finally, "forbes" reports leonardo dicaprio has earned $50 million from "inception" because of his contract. well, he took less pay up front in exchange for first-dollar gross points. that would be money from box office proceeds before the studio makes back the production costs. but we are on there in los angeles. we don't need to explain that to them.

they get. >> i'm fascinated by the hair extension war. i had no idea. >> i know. i mean, gasp. would you ever where a competitor's -- >> how many hair extension companies are there? >> i don't, bill. i don't wear hair extensions. >> maybe tomorrow we'll get you some nice, long locks. well, this comes to us from wvit nbc 30 in hartford, connecticut, where it was better late than never for the 2000 women's gymnastics team. ten years after finishing fourth at the sydney olympics, the women received bronze medals. the original recipients, china, had their medals taken away after officials determined a member of that team was under age at the time. as one american team member put it, the long awaited moment was, "definitely a dream come true." i'm lynn berry and this is early today, just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

one show in china is sure to make a splash. the world's biggest water-based show has found a new home in china at a casino. a mix of martial arts, dance, and gymnastics took five years to plan and cost over $200 million. it includes a 3.7 million-gallon tank. that's larger than five olympic swimming pools and 77 dancers from 18 countries. elephants are definitely cute, but baby elephants are downright adorable, just like this one born at a zoo in austria last friday. don't be fooled by his small stature. this little guy already weighs in at 246 pounds. his name? the zoo is asking the public to handle that.

the choices are shamby, meaning leader, ratti, meaning thunder, or talumba, meaning big ears. i like big ears. one for all and all for one just wasn't enough for these guys, looking to beat the world record for largest free-fall formation. 104 skydivers took the plunge from 16,000 feet in poland. the number to beat was 99 skydivers. unfortunately, the group wasn't able to link up before their chutes opened, but fortunately, bill, their chutes opened. so, i think i'd take that. >> yeah, two people didn't like each other. they didn't want to hold hands. >> yeah, really. >> that was the reason they didn't link. >> how did you hear about that? >> i'm part of the association of skydivers. >> good one. well, time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. the senate will hold a short special session to pass a $600 million border security bill. senators will also honor former senator ted stevens who died this week in a plane crash in alaska. getting into swing in

whistling straits, wisconsin. the 92nd pga championship, $7.5 million is at stake in the tournament, the last of the four golf majors for the year. and tonight, escape the city lights and check out the perseid meteor shower. it passes through every august as earth slams into a giant cloud of debris left behind by a comet. 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. the ex-wife of the fed-up jetblue flight attendant sheds some light on his career in the skies. and bill cosby talks live with meredith vieira about his brand new internet series. 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.

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