[ cheers and applause ] this morning on "early today," going home. the last u.s. combat brigade pulls out of iraq, closing a seven-year chapter. no regrets. president obama stands by his comments in support of a controversial mosque project near ground zero. and run for your lives. a bull charges into a stand of terrified spectators in spain. 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 the long road home. more than seven years after the

u.s.-led invasion of iraq began, it's now the beginning of the end of the american mission there. yesterday, the last u.s. combat brigade left iraq. although some combat troops do remain, according to the government, the departure marks a long-awaited milestone on the american war front. nbc's richard engel made the journey with the brigade and filed this report last night from the iraq/kuwait border. >> reporter: a short while ago we watched the last american combat troops cross through this gate, leaving iraq and entering here in kuwait. they were from the 4-2 stryker brigade based at ft. lewis in washington state. they call themselves the raiders, and now they have a special place in the history of the iraq war. >> we're going home! >> reporter: they were the last 440 american combat troops to leave iraq and enter kuwait. >> it feels great to know that we were -- that this battalion, the first of the 38th infantry,

is the last unit to be in iraq, the last combat unit in iraq. >> reporter: the next stop for them is to go to an american military base here in kuwait and then begin their journey home. richard engel, nbc news at the iraq/kuwait border. although combat troops are withdrawing, the u.s. military still has a lot of work to do before it's completely out of iraq. and with more on that, we go to nbc's kristen dahlgren. she joins us now from washington. excuse me. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lynn. there were those initial reports that all of the combat troops were out, and then we got word from officials that there actually are 6,000 more remaining but that 4th stryker brigade was the last major combat unit to make it out of the country. the additional 6,000 will be flying out either later on today or trickling out over the next couple of weeks before that august 31st deadline. so, kind of a symbolic exit last night, but definitely emotional

and an historic one to watch, as we saw richard engel there leaving with them. it's unlikely, though, that we'll hear from the president on this about the official end until that august 31st deadline, lynn. >> well, and kristen, also important to note that after that deadline, there's still going to be 50,000 troops that remain there. describe really advisers that will assist iraq in this transitional period, but we know there is great political instability there, increasing violence. so, this is clearly not mission accomplished just yet. what's next? >> reporter: no. when the state department spoke to that, the spokesperson p.j. crowley said the end of the war, per se, is not the end of the danger to u.s. troops there. now, they will mostly be training those iraqi security forces, and many of them will be in sort of desk jobs. they will go out with the iraqi forces only if they're asked, but there is still instability, there are still dangers for them. so, they will be armed, they will be assisted, if that is needed, and then also some

special forces troops will continue to assist the iraqis in looking for terrorists in that country. so, you know, 50,000 still left behind and still in some danger. >> and then, of course, there is the next milestone that the president has set. that will be the deadline of december 2011, the official end of the operation at which he's promised there will be no u.s. troops that remain there. is that still a firm deadline or is the pentagon really waiting to see how this next phase plays out? >> reporter: you know what, it is under the status forces agreement that was negotiated between the u.s. and iraq under president bush. their troops have to leave by december 2011, but the state department reiterated that it will stay with iraq in the long haul as long as that country does need help, and general odierno said it could be three to five years before we know whether or not the war was a success in stabilizing the middle east. >> kristen dahlgren there for us in washington. kristen, thank you. >> reporter: you're welcome. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. for the second time this week,

surveillance video has surfaced of an alleged police beating involving denver police officers. a man walking his dogs is stopped and questioned by police. he attempts to take a picture of an officer but is restrained and a struggle ensues. the officer is seen hitting the cuffed man who allegedly suffered a concussion. the incident is under investigation. indiana state police are looking for suspects after discovering about 2,000 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $5 million growing in a state park. police say illegal operations are on the rise in both state and public lands, secluded areas, which cover both the view and scent of the plants. and for one ultimate beatles fan in pennsylvania, saving her concert ticket stub just wasn't enough. she got paul mccartney's autograph on her back and then had it tattooed.

her checklist there apparently caught mccartney's eye at the philadelphia show, and by the end of the night, she had a permanent reminder of what she calls the best experience of her life. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc's meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. good morning. >> good morning. mccartney's got a nice signature. a lot better than mine. >> good reason to get a tattoo. >> let's talk about yesterday. we saw temperatures a little cooler in the texas area. the reason i'm bringing this up is because they had a streak going in dallas, where every single day this month they were 100 degrees plus. you know, phoenix or vegas, that's common, but in dallas, it's uncommon. yesterday they were 96. notice we're still 104 in the phoenix area. today's weather pattern, not a lot has changed. we're still watching some of that moisture rolling up through the rockies and the four corner region. we do have some showers out there in utah and some of the higher elevations in colorado. much of the west coast is clear. once you get on the beaches, though, and right next to the water, that's where we have that marine layer that once again is just lingering right on shore. you can see it if you look

closely. it's that little gray line that's kind of the border of where it's clear and where the clouds have continued to be persistent. that's why it's only 57 degrees in san francisco and 71 in l.a. today's forecast -- we'll burn off those clouds, get you a little sunshine. desert areas are looking very warm.6 today. roseburg right around 85. san diego, we'll try to get you some sunshine, 77. that's a look at your thursday forecast, lynn. friday coming right up. >> all right, bill, thank you. well, the egg recall gets bigger, b.j.'s outlook gets smaller, and yet another change coming up on facebook. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, yes, julia roberts did recently announce she's converted to hid youism, but don't expect her to discuss it anymore.

also, the cubs finally trade their slugger, and a basketball shot that takes the game to new heights. 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. president obama says he has, "no regrets" about comments he made last week supporting muslims' right to build a mosque two blocks from ground zero. it comes as a new pew research poll shows nearly one in five americans incorrectly believe the president is a muslim. just one-third of americans correctly say he is a christian, and 43% do not know what religion the president practices. meanwhile, president obama is throwing his support behind a bill to help september 11th first responders. it has been stalled in the house. the proposed $7.4 billion measure would provide health care and compensation for ground zero workers suffering health problems. secretary of state hillary

clinton will be announcing major steps today to energize public and private contributions to pakistan. despite more than 20 million people being left homeless by recent flooding, u.s. officials say only $50,000 has been texted in private donations. meanwhile, new satellite photos also show how devastating monsoon rains have transformed the country's landscape in just three weeks' time. and some dramatic footage out of spain shows a bull leaping out of an arena and charging into a crowd of terrified spectators. the animal injured some 40 people before employees were able to get control of it. most of the victims suffered cuts or bruises, but a 10-year-old boy was seriously injured, and one man was gored in the back. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,415 after gaining nine points yesterday.

the s&p rose a point, and the nasdaq jumped six. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo the nikkei added 122 points, while in hong kong, the hang seng gained 49. a seesaw day on wall street ended on an upswing, thanks to some surprisingly solid retail reports. despite missing the mark for its second-quarter revenue, target shares shot up 2% by day's end after predicting a healthy sales increase for the second half of the year. another encouraging sign for the retail sector came late in the day when limited brands reported a big jump in second-quarter net income. the parent company of victoria's secret and bath & body works also raised its full year forecast. however, not everyone is optimistic. big box chain bj's slashed its year-end outlook, sending shares down nearly 3%. investors also sold off shares of deere & company after the farm equipment maker beat earnings estimates but said sales were far below normal.

after the bell, general motors filed the first round of paperwork for its much-anticipated initial public offering. the number of potentially contaminated eggs being recalled nationwide has been upped from 228 million to 380 million. hundreds of people from at least three states have gotten sick from a salmonella outbreak health officials have traced to wright county egg in iowa. facebook users will soon have another privacy setting to monitor when the social networking site launches its new places feature, designed to track users' locations. and, finally, fans of frito-lay's sunchips are making some noise about the snack's new biodegradable bags made from plant materials instead of plastic. they may be green, but it turns out the bags make a loud crackling noise, which some are comparing to a revving motorcycle and breaking glass. hmm. well, the rays sting the rangers, the yanks tame the tigers, and a big-name player gets traded. plus, another one of those

outrageous trick basketball shots. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. your thursday weather headlines, thunderstorms in the southeast and a new 100-degree streak will start today in dallas. your regional forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." srisk for sudden cardiac death.

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good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, the first place atlanta braves aren't taking anything for granted heading down the stretch. they have just added a star first baseman to their roster. here's nbc's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> hi, there. good morning. with the playoffs right around the corner, the atlanta braves picked up a hard-hitting first baseman for the stretch run. the chicago cubs traded derrek lee to atlanta for three pitching prospects. lee refused a deal last month with the angels, saying he wanted to stay on the national league and play for a first-place team. well, he got his wish. he'll join the club tomorrow. atlanta has had a flair for the dramatics this season. they've won 21 times in their final at-bat. that's best in the bigs. yesterday's victim, the washington nationals. jason heyward with a walk-off single. braves win their fourth in a row, 3-2. mets and 'stros needing four hours and 18 minutes to decide a winner. bases loaded. ike davis with a high fly ball to right field. way short of a homer, but it gets the job done. jose reyes tags up to score the

go-ahead run. not pretty, but the mets will take anything these days. they win it, 3-2, in 14 innings. the rays broke out their brooms against the rangers, completing a three-game sweep. evan longoria hitting his 16th homer of the year. he also had four rbi. tampa continues to roll by winning, 8-6. yankees and tigers, miguel cabrera hit not one, but two homers into the new york night. he's now got 30 homers, but the bronx bombers won't go away quietly. curtis granderson getting it done against his former team. his second homer in as many days. yankees keep pace with the rays by winning, 9-5. finally, just when you thought you'd seen every wild basketball shot imaginable, these kids from alabama took the game to new heights. from atop an amusement park ride, watch as the ball free falls right into the hoop. here's how it looked from the ground. nothing but net. don't know if it's real or fake, but one thing is for sure -- air jordan never soared that high. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm mario solis. >> announcer: "early today

sports" is brought to you by just for men mustache and beard. keep your edge. well, a laundry list of big named hollywood stars get more than just a manicure at the beauty salon. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, a bittersweet discovery in georgia with meaning for all americans. you're watching "early today."

well, welcome back on this

thursday morning. forecast pretty simple. nothing too hot. about 91 in memphis, kind of warm. typically average in phoenix, slightly above average in the 100s. 91 in los angeles. warmer air finally heading your way for the city areas. on the coast, we'll try to get rid of the clouds earlier today. also, we lost our streak in anchorage. 64 today and partly cloudy. yesterday we did not get rain. that was the first time in over 30 days that we did not have wet weather. so, looks like we're going to get you two dry days in a row. well, if you're watching us on kndu 25 kennewick, washington, if you're hungry for something local, get your fresh produce along with wine, baked goods and crafts, plus live entertainment at the southridge farmers market. and that's your "pacific event of the day," lynn. i love fresh produce. >> i was going to say, every sunday, my favorite thing to do. all right, bill, thank you. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. what is the world coming to when you can't even trust your stylist? tmz reports jennifer aniston,

liv tyler, melanie griffith, and ann hathaway were all victimized in a credit card scam by the woman who ran their beverly hills salon. court documents show tiv tyler alone lost over $200,000. according to billboard, by the time lady gaga's monster ball tour wraps up in europe this fall, it will most likely pass the $200 million mark. neil patrick harris and his longtime partner are expecting twins with the help of a surrogate. the star says they are "excited, nervous and thrilled." and, finally, after announcing her switch from catholicism to hinduism and subsequent reports that it's led to battles with her husband on the home front, julia roberts is no longer talking religion. when asked in japan, roberts fell back on advice she says she got from her mother 22 years ago -- you're an actor, act. don't talk about politics or religion. it's like dinner party rules. >> it's interesting, because you know, we always do these entertainment segments. we don't do a lot of the

religion in the entertainers. it's almost like this thing, it's separate and no one should care -- >> they took julia roberts' mother's advice. keep it separate. well, this comes to us from wsav news 3 in savannah, georgia, where archaeologists have unearthed what's being called the most significant find in the state's history. magnolia springs state park was always thought to be the site of the largest prison camp in the world during the civil war. recently, archaeologists discovered telltale artifacts confirming the camp was there, artifacts that give us a glimpse into the lives of union soldiers imprisoned in the camps and the confederates who guarded them. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

as muslims around the world observe ramadan, a palestinian craftsman hopes to shine a light on the holy month's meaning. he's been working on a giant lantern, a decorative feature of the holy month that could also light up the record books at 30 feet high. illuminated in gaza, the craftsman hopes this unifies and unites different factions as one. if rush hour is bad on your commute, just be thankful you don't live in india. that's where a stray elephant wandered onto a local highway for nearly an hour, backing up traffic. afraid to disturb the big guy, wildlife officials just waited for him to move along. experts think deforestation and poaching may be driving

elephants out of their natural habitat in search of food. house pets are beloved by their owners, and even the most unusual ones are no different, even pet crocodiles. three crocs are a fixture in one australian neighborhood where their owner takes them out for walks, even bathes them in her own tub. if you think this is strange, you're not alone. her husband gave her an ultimatum, him or the crocs. bill, let's just say they are now divorced. >> and he would like to make a nice pair of shoes, probably. >> ouch. >> or boots. >> maybe he just thinks they should be in a zoo. >> that, too, or back in the rivers or wherever else. by the way, american alligators have a u-shaped nose. crocodiles have a v-shaped nose. that's the difference. >> we need to pull you away from google, bill. we really do. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. united nations general assembly is expected to hold a special session on the flooding disaster in pakistan. the u.n. is appealing for nations to pitch in $460 million

to deal with the immediate aftermath of the floods. the mayor of new orleans will give an update on the city's recovery from hurricane katrina. the storms struck the gulf coast nearly five years ago. and happy birthday to former president bill clinton, celebrating his 64th birthday. 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. former new york city mayor rudy giuliani weighs in on the recent mosque controversy. and hear a 10-year-old boy tell his amazing survival story after being attacked by a stingray. 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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