[ cheers and applause ] this morning on "early today," end of the road. an escaped inmate and his fiancee who have been on the run for weeks are arrested in arizona. rocket blast baseball great roger clemens indicted on charges of lying to congress about steroids. and cleared for takeoff? a wild police chase in dallas and cleared for takeoff? a wild police chase in dallas ends up on an airport runway. 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 a nightmare that is finally over. that's how a u.s. marshal

described yesterday's capture of the last of three inmates who escaped from an arizona prison and his alleged accomplice. police say john mccluskey and his fiancee and cousin casslyn welch were arrested after an alert forest ranger spotted their stolen vehicle at a campground in northeastern arizona, then called in the s.w.a.t. team. >> mr. mccluskey was lying down on the campground. he was taken into custody, and he made a statement at that time or a few minutes later that if he had gotten back to the tent, there was a gun there and that he would have killed the officers involved. >> they were the target of a three-week nationwide manhunt after welch allegedly helped mccluskey cut through the prison security fence. after their escape, police say both suspects were linked to the slayings of a couple on vacation in new mexico. the other two inmates who escaped with mccluskey were recaptured earlier this month in colorado and wyoming.

secretary of state hillary clinton is expected to announce today that israel and the palestinians will restart direct peace talks for the first time in over a year and a half. this morning's "new york times" reports israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian leader mahmoud abbas have agreed to place a one-year time limit on the negotiations. according to the "times," president obama is expected to invite netanyahu and abbas to washington next month to resume the talks. well, the president of pakistan and a senior u.s. senator are warning that taliban insurgents are trying to exploit the misery and chaos over the worst floods in pakistan's history. yesterday senator john kerry, who was visiting hard-hit areas with pakistan's president, said actions must be taken to prevent anyone from taking advantage of mounting frustrations. according to the united nations, more than 4 million pakistanis have been left homeless following three weeks of monsoon rains.

now, during a special meeting of the u.n. general assembly yesterday, the united states said it would increase its aid to $150 million. instead of heading into baseball's hall of fame, one of the game's greatest pitchers may be heading to prison. roger clemens, a seven-time cy young award winner, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly lying to congress about using steroids. the man known as the rocket faces charges of obstruction of congress, making false statements, and perjury. if convicted, clemens faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. much more on this story coming up a little bit later in sports. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in texas, a dramatic high-speed police chase ended on an airport tarmac when a stolen pickup truck ,already missing its right rear tire, slammed through a gate, driving dangerously close to the main runway. police cornered the suspect who was quickly taken into custody.

a massachusetts couple is behind bars after they were caught selling stolen gas. acting on a tip, the police set up surveillance around the couple's home, which they had turned into a makeshift gas station. the couple is accused of stealing gas from a fuel storage facility where the man works, then selling and bartering it to friends, family, even publicly elected officials. in washington state, a singe-engine plane took off from a local highway after a pilot made an emergency landing. the cessna grounded when the pilot hit turbulence and found her gas gauge stopped working. after a quick fix and a police escort, she was soon back up in the air. and one virginia family got quite a surprise and a huge surprise in their garden this weekend. it was a 17-pound cantaloupe. while harvesting, the family came across what they thought was a pumpkin. they don't quite know why this one got so big. grandpa thinks it's the seeds.

they're going to find out next summer after they plant the seeds that they save. but for now it was time to dig in and enjoy. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc's meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. good morning, bill. >> so is that to encourage everyone to skip the sausage and bacon this morning and go for the more healthy melons. >> probably a good idea always. if that's what you need to remind you, then we've done our job. >> this is the time of year for that stuff. it's fresh and good. >> along with tomatoes. >> are you with the tomato national register. >> yes, i'll make 0.10 from the industry. >> it's a pretty nice weekend, 50s from denver to san francisco. of course, the desert areas are a little bit warmer. seattle right now is at 53

degrees. now, as we continue to go through this weekend, what we'll be watching for the most part is mild air in place. temperatures are the warmest down here in the south. it's going to be a warmer weather pattern, especially in california. los angeles in the downtown area should be near 90 all day right through the upcoming weekend. a little more of a ridge is starting to build in the west. we do have a storm system that's going to kick through the northwest. that will keep you cooler. the ridge will stay to the south. when we say ridge, that's high pressure, sinking air, usually warmer. la 88, not as many clouds on the coast. point conception northward we'll see clouds. nice weather pretty much everywhere. leave the umbrella where it other areas are nice around eugene.

crescent city, clouds lingering on the coast. it's 58 degrees. >> you have to get me a contact with your agent so i can get good sponsorship with the tomato association. >> it's a good contact. >> zucchini. >> watermelon. there's a lot of openings. i'll see what i can do. thank you, bill. unemployment climbs, factory activity shrinks, and stocks tumble. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, jennifer aniston's box office stock may suffer after the debut of her latest film this weekend. the rocket has been grounded, a couple of defensive gems from the yankees, and georgia's football coach makes a huge splash. you're watching "early today." it

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry, and here are

some of your top headlines this morning. the respected woods hole oceanographic institute on cape cod says a huge plume of dispersed oil is still lurking deep below the gulf of mexico's surface. the national oceanic and atmospheric administration told nbc's anne thompson the government's estimate that 74% of the oil is gone is being, quote, refined and undergoing a, quote, very rigorous peer review. the federal aviation administration is reportedly ready to slap american airlines with a record fine of $25 million or more. the potential penalty stems from american's failure to properly fix faulty wiring in hundreds of jets back in 2008, forcing the airline to ground its entire fleet for several days. haitian presidential hopeful wyclef jean is reportedly not on the list of candidates approved to run in the country's november 28th election. the 39-year-old singer/songwriter who lives mainly in new jersey reportedly failed to meet haiti's residency requirements. former astronaut and current

navy captain lisa nowak is facing a possible reduction in rank and a less than honorable discharge. nowak was convicted on civil charges last year for assaulting a female air force captain involving an alleged love triangle in 2007. and new research shows the moon may actually be shrinking. while you won't be able to tell just from looking at it, scientists say cracks in the moon's crust are signs of cooling and shrinking over the last billion years. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the do you opens at 10,271 after losing 144 points. s&p fell 18 and nasdaq dropped 36. taking a look at overseas trading. in tokyo the nikkei was down 183 points. in hong kong the hang seng lost 90. stocks had their worst day in a

month on monday as data shows the economy stuck in neutral. five stocks fell, manufactures 3m, boeing, the biggest drags on the dow. treasuries rose as investors moved into safe haven government debt with the yield falling to a low. dollar, yen, swiss franc, gold rose for a sixth day. it started when labor departments first time claim for job benefits rose to a nine-month high, the fourth rise in claims. factory activity in the mid-atlantic states shrinking in august since july 2009. blind-sided investors had been expecting an increase. even big news in mergers in acquisition couldn't boost wall street. intel is buying security software maker mcafee for more than $7.5 billion in cash. mcafee surged 57% while intel dipped 3.5%. in earnings, sears tumbled more than 9 % after the chain

reported a wider than expected quarterly loss. williams-sonoma end-of-year forecast, including holiday shopping, fell short of expectations, sending its shares down to over 2%. and, finally, proving the far-reaching effects of china's recent economic growth, if you like pricey wine, you'd better buy now before prices climb even higher. christie's auction house reports sales are up over 18% over last year with 43% of the sales coming from asia. roger clemens faces the music, the halos spank the sox, and a multitalented college football coach. plus, the bronx bombers prove they can also do it with their gloves. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. as we head into the weekend, the temperatures will be the big story. you could see some near record highs. your weekend forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

sweet n' sour filled twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, as we told you earlier, the rocket has landed in hot water as legendary pitcher roger clemens now faces federal charges related to steroid use. here's nbc's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. hi, there. good morning. roger clemens is one of the biggest names in baseball to be linked with performance-enhancing drugs.

in 2008 he took the stand and said this to a congressional committee. >> let me be clear. i have never taken steroids or hgh. >> well, the government thinks he was lying. clemens was indicted yesterday on six counts, including obstruction of justice, perjury, and making false statements to congress. the seven-time cy young award winner will now face his toughest opponent yet, a federal grand jury. clemens responded to the charges via twitter, posting, i did not lie to congress, i look forward to challenging the government's accusations. a court date has not been set for the trial. the yankees, one of clemens' former teams, hosting the tigers. a couple of terrific defensive plays turned in by the yanks. fourth inning, mark teixeira tracks it down and makes a bobbling catch. one more time. break out the oven mitts. teixeira grabs a hot potato while sliding on his back. next batter, johnny peralta a shot to center. brett gardner and curtis granderson somehow some way avoid a major collision. granderson comes up with the ball. watch it again as the ball actually goes off gardner's glove and into granderson's mitt. talk about teamwork.

how about some offense. robinson cano with his 24th homer of the year. yanks roll, 11-5. speaking of ex-yankees, head yankee matsui with a three-run shot against the red sox. the monster over by godzilla puts the angels up, 6-1. they win it, 7-2. and, finally, if you're a coach and the rain cancels football practice, why not move indoors and take a leap of faith off a 30-foot diving platform. georgia coach mark richt made a splash this week. he's done this the last three years, but as you can tell from the khakis and dress shirt, he didn't plan this one. talk about going all out. for his next dive, he'll pull off a triple lindy. and that's your look at sports on "early today." i'm mario solis. >> he's actually really good. well, a slew of new films coming out this weekend. can any take the top spot? your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, some of the members of the army's stryker brigade, the last combat brigade to leave iraq, are already returning home. you're watching "early today."

good morning, everyone. take you through the next three days. simple forecast, dry weather everywhere, warm everywhere from salt lake city to boise. a little sunshine and clouds are burning off early, if there are any. nice this weekend.

downtown l.a. near 90, san diego a little warmer, too. unfortunately san francisco, on the cooler side, even into saturday, that's also up in the northwest. showers arriving sunday. hopefully more sunshine in seattle. if you're watching in reno, nevada, all the world is a stage, at least the world of shakespeare. see the complete works of the famous playwright in one single performance. i don't know how they do that. that's the lake tahoe shakespeare festival. that's the pacific event of the day. >> bill, thank you. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. too many new films and not enough movie-goers should help last week's champ retake the top spot at the box office this weekend. experts think that sylvester stallone's "the expendables" will take the top spot once again, barely, with around $15 million. julia roberts' "eat, pray, love" should battle it out for second with around $13 million.

many speculate the goofy genre has played out, so it will be interesting to see how "vampires suck" does and who will come out for it, "twilight" fans or "twilight" haters for the "twilight" parody. will it be "twilight" fans or "twilight" haters? experts expect around $12 million. those experts consistently underestimate african-american comedies, and they may have done it again with "lottery ticket." they only think that it will take in around $10 million. expectations are also low for the family sequel "nanny mcphee returns," also around $10 million. same goes for "piranha 3-d." not expected to even break $10 million. well, the lowest expectations have been reserved for jennifer aniston's romantic comedy, "the switch," which experts almost universally predict will bomb. >> you want to see "eat, pray, love." you're going to be influenced, aren't you? >> experts predict it's not a good movie. everybody tells me it's not -- >> you want to see it.

did you read the book? >> i loved the book. that's why i want to see it. i'm consistently disappointed when i read the book and see the movie. it's never as good. no disrespect to "eat, pray, love." i think there's too many new movies out there, that's why they aren't going to make that much money. >> it isn't a good weekend. >> this comes from louis mccord in washington state where there was one special homecoming from men and women in uniform. 150 soldiers from the army's fourth stryker brigade -- that's the last remaining combat unit withdrawing from iraq -- marched into a greeting from cheering family and friends. after a brief speech thanking them for their service, the soldiers were dismissed into the arms of waiting families as the band played "stars & stripes forever." i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station.

the event billed as europe's largest nautical display definitely lived up to its name. 200 tall ships and vessels sailed in formation to amsterdam for a historic display. the boats filled canals and anchored up, giving up to two million spectators quite a show. the display, which happens every five years, started in 1975 to celebrate amsterdam's 700th anniversary. while many here are suffering through the dog days of summer, in brazil it's a much different story. their winter season has been unusually cold, and even the animals are bundling up. orangutans at one rio zoo are wrapped in blankets to keep warm in the 48-degree weather.

the zookeepers are also feeding the animals extra carbs to help keep them warm. sounds fun! well, one woman in england is attracting attention, but not for her magnetic personality. doctors have said her high stress levels make her body act like a magnet. metal objects like coins and tools stick to her like glue. the phenomenon doesn't stop there. she says it also causes light bulbs to pop, can trigger car alarms, and shuts off her son's battery-operated toys. >> that's pretty cool. >> that's so random. so doctors say try and reduce your stress and not be as anxious. but if that's the case -- >> or she could try to increase her super powers and become more stressed. >> and use them for good and not evil. >> yes. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. in south carolina, funeral arrangements are scheduled for two toddlers authorities say were suffocated by their mother and then driven into a river. the boys' mother, 29-year-old

shaquan duley, has been charged with two counts of murder. in california, some 150,000 state employees won't be at work, thanks to court-imposed furloughs. the state's crippling deficit force add ruling this week that will temporarily shut down state offices, including the department of motor vehicles and the department of public health. and 16 teams of hopeful champions will gather in pennsylvania to begin the little league world series. 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. in a "today" show exclusive, former illinois governor rod blagojevich speaks out about his corruption trial and conviction. and the popular band daughtry rocks the summer concert 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.