"jimmy fallon" happening right [ cheers and applause ] this morning on "early today," facing the familiar. voters back established candidates in some key primary races. government scramble. what might have prevented the salmonella scare that led to the massive egg recall. and blood brothers. dna tests of nazi leader adolf hitler reveal a surprising dna tests of nazi leader adolf hitler reveal a surprising ancestry. captions paid for by nbc-universal televisio hello, and good morning. welcome to our viewers across the nation, including the pacific time zone. i'm lynn berry. today we begin with the people speaking. votes have been counted from five states where americans weighed in yesterday on who will make it to midterm elections in november, and the senate

primaries in florida and arizona captured attention nationwide. nbc's leanne gregg has more. >> reporter: john mccain one step closer to his fifth term in the u.s. senate after winning tuesday's primary. mccain spent more than $20 million to successfully fend off former congressman j.d. hayworth. >> i promise you, i take nothing for granted, i'll fight with every ounce of strength and conviction i possess to make the case for my continued service in the senate. >> reporter: critics arguing the senator has lost his conservative roots with his stand on immigration, a key issue, but mccain still able to win heading into the november election. in florida, four-term congressman kendrick meek showing his gratitude after elected as the democratic senate nominee. meek, the establishment candidate, beat self-funded real estate mogul jeff greene, who made millions betting against the subprime mortgage market.

>> there are those that counted us out, but you counted us in, and i want to thank florida for doing that. >> reporter: in november, meek will face republican marco rubio and florida's governor, republican-turned-independent charlie crist. the vote providing new momentum heading into the fall election. leanne gregg, nbc news. the food and drug administration is facing new scrutiny this morning after news the agency rejected low-cost vaccines which could have prevented the salmonella outbreak that has sickened thousands of people nationwide and led to the recall of more than 500 million eggs. the fda says there was not enough evidence that vaccinating hens against salmonella, which would have cost a penny per dozen eggs, would have prevented people from getting sick, but in england, officials say vaccinations have given them the safest egg supply in europe. a study last year found just 1% of english flocks had salmonella compared to 60% elsewhere in europe. chinese state media says 42 people were killed when a

passenger jet overshot a runway and broke apart in the northeast part of the country yesterday. despite the plane bursting into flames after impact, more than 50 others survived. investigators are still trying to determine the exact cause of the crash, although officials say the aircraft was trying to land in heavy fog. chilean officials are working to launch a grueling, four-month rescue operation to save 33 trapped miners. engineers say they will begin drilling an escape tunnel through 2300 feet of earth and rock by the end of the week. until then, officials have decided not to tell the men that they may have to endure the cramped quarters and a lack of natural light until christmas. in the meantime, nutrients and water are being supplied through a narrow drill hole and officials are consulting nasa about ways to keep the miners physically and psychologically healthy. and now here's a look at some other stories making news

early today in america. in kentucky, customs officials came across an elaborate tombstone that arrived from jamaica hollowed out and stuffed with more than 50 pounds of marijuana. a red flag was raised when they noticed the concrete slab for the late delroy senior was hand-painted to look like granite. investigators are at a dead end, unable to find the sender or intended recipient. in california, a seven-year-old and his parents are dead after a big rig loaded with gravel lost its brakes and slammed in their home. the driver escaped with minor injuries. officials are investigating what caused the brakes to fail. the famed air force thunderbirds kicked off air force week in new york city. smoke billowed from the f-16 fighters as they flew over the aircraft carrier "intrepid" in tight formation. air force weeks are held all over the country, celebrating the men and women serving in the united states air force. and back in california, a high-flying event of a less coordinated style.

it's a competition to launch human-powered flight craft off a 30-foot-high ramp and into the water. an all-female team snatched the top prize for a launch that propelled them 98 feet. of course, it wasn't just about distance traveled, but also going down in style. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. apparently a dance competition. >> the coordination, that wins it, with the little rubber ducky suit. >> with a little costume. >> it was hot in long beach, too. we were talking about that yesterday, the heat was returning to california. everyone more than happy to go in the water. this wasn't a misprint here. we were just as hot in california as they were in texas. that's where they have had the horrible heat wave as of late. everything shifted to the west coast. only a one-day event for san francisco but it was impressive. 99 degrees at the airport. might as well hit 100, only one

to go. 96 in sacramento, 94 in l.a. and 95 in portland, medford 103. a warm morning. we held onto heat in some areas, 69 in san francisco. some of those clouds, the marine layer is building back towards the coast. that's going to keep the temperature down just a little bit. this trough will eventually move on shore and bring cooler temperatures. one more hot day in the northern rockies and warm conditions through much of california. san francisco a little more marine influence will keep you down about 83 today. look at sunshine through the area. this is another warm, summer-like day. i mentioned the heat, look at boise, 97. 90 all the way up into montana. above average temperatures cover much of the west. that's a look at your wednes in

many areas in the central valley. should cool off a little bit over the next few days. we'll give you the thursday forecast, won't be quite as hot. funny, we've been talking about wanting the heat for so long in the west. you know how it is, people are now complaining. >> people are complaining. exactly. we do that here in the east as well. all right, bill. thanks. well, home sales plunge, stocks tumble and the business the english are more loyal to than their mates. your early-morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, paris hilton gets a scare from a knife-wielding would-be intruder. a marathon in philadelphia. baseball's commissioner is immortalized, and when it comes to the wife, she knows everything, right? everything, right. you're watching "early today." y"

good morning. welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry and here are some of your top headlines this morning. former president jimmy

carter arrived in the north korean capital to begin his attempt to win freedom for an american sentenced to eight years in prison for entering the communist country illegally in january. wicki leak says it will publish more documents according to its twitter page, this despite a pentagon warning that such a release would risk more lives beyond the publication of 76,000 war papers. there may be evidence that adolf hitler had jewish and african roots. a belgian magazine reports that dna tests of the nazi leader's relatives turned up a chromosome commonly found in africans as well as jews. the article's author indicates the findings may indicate that "hitler was related to people whom he despised." and german police have released an x-ray of a man who was shot in the back of the head about five years ago but only recently realized it because he was drunk when it happened. the 35-year-old went to the doctor recently because he thought he had a cyst. he told police he remembers

suffering a blow to the head during a new years party but had forgotten about it because he was very intoxicated. must have been quite a party! well, now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,040 after losing 133 points yesterday. the s&p lost 15 points and the nasdaq fell 35. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei dropped 149 points, while in hong kong, the hang seng dipped 23. the real estate market has been in bad shape for a while, but an alarming new report shows it's much worse than anyone expected. existing home sales fell 27% last month. that's the lowest level ever recorded. that means the number of unsold homes sitting on the market right now is more than double the usual amount. that sent markets skidding to a seven-week low across the board. medical device maker medtronics shed nearly 11% after

reporting a drop in quarterly sales and slashing its outlook. data storage firm 3par says it's about to begin merger talks with hewlett-packard after hp beat out rival dell with a $1.6 billion takeover bid. speaking of dell, yesterday, it released its first smartphone, entering the increasingly crowded market with a 3 1/2-inch android device called the arrow that costs about $100 on the at&t network. a new report shows the nation's credit card debt is at an eight-year low. the average american's credit card balance is down 13% from last year. walmart is recalling ready-made roast beef and ham sandwiches sold in its deli case that could be contaminated with harmful bacteria. federal safety officials are investigating a risk of gas tank fires in jeep grand cherokees built before 2004. chrysler says the vehicle meets or exceeds all safety standards.

u.s. safety regulators stepped up their investigations into stalling engines in some toyota corollas and matrix hatchbacks. and finally, a new survey has found the english are more faithful to their banks than their relationship partners. the average length of an english relationship is 14 years, while the english spend nearly 16 1/2 years with the same bank. well, a pitcher plays outfield in a marathon game, a matrimonial attitude in horse racing, plus, a pregame stunt goes wrong in milwaukee. your early-morning sports headlines are straight ahead. just hanging around. your weather headlines -- hot weather continues in los angeles and still unsettled in florida. your regional forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, baseball's marquee game last night was a matchup of american league division leaders, the twins versus the rangers. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. it was a matchup between first-place teams, but it wasn't the play on the field that got most of the attention. members of the u.s. army golden knights parachuted into the rangers ballpark in arlington. everybody landed safely except for that guy, who was just a bit outside. got his chute caught on a flag pole.

he was all right, just a little embarrassed. as for the game, michael young broke the 3-3 tie with an rbi single in the seventh. rangers beat the twins, 4-3. commissioner bud selig was honored with a statue at miller park. you may remember, it was selig who brought baseball back to milwaukee in 1970. the dodgers' rob barajas celebrated by a three-run homer in his debut with the club. dodgers won it, 5-3. let's go to new york. mets completed a comeback in the ninth. luis castillo with a flair to right. ike davis came in to score the winning run. mets rally in their final two at-bats to win it 7-4. now phillies and astros. ninth inning. jimmy rollins, a towering home run down the line, tied it at 2-2 and forced extra innings, and boy, did it go extra. the game ran so long, the phils were out of players. that's pitcher roy oswalt playing left field. finally, somebody scored in the 16th. chris johnson, a shot to third. phils tried to turn two but didn't get anybody out. an infield single scored the go-ahead run. astros add another and win a wild one, 4-2 in 16. finally, my wife knows

everything or is it that the wife doesn't know? who's going to win that battle? >> into the final furlong, my wife knows everything, my wife doesn't know. they're one-two. of course, they are. my wife knows everything in front. to the outside, my wife doesn't know. my wife knows everything, my wife doesn't know! whoo! >> that was the seventh race from monmouth park. in racing, as in life, my wife knows everything. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. >> announcer: "early today" sports is brought to you by touch of gray. get rid of some gray, never all. now that tiger is single, someone's on the prowl for him. your early-morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, a look at what could be the next generation of space travel vehicles. you're watching "early today."

well, welcome back. sunshine galore everywhere in the west. dangerously hot in a few cases. 104 in medford, interior west in the 90s. cooler in san francisco, only the 80s compared to record heat yesterday. 95 in l.a. the valley in california very hot. some of the warm shifts to the middle of the country, notice

billings and salt lake city hotter. cooler on the coast, including clouds and maybe a shower or drizzle or two. much cooler in a lot of cases. so this it. enjoy your summer day today. who knows, this will be one of the last ones. if you're watching knvn 24 california, check out the secret world of bees and learn about the insects, including their sweetest secret of all, how they make the honey at the chico museum. that's your pacific event of the day. it's from the pollen, right? >> yes. we'll send you to could go that. you'll be back to tell us about that. >> no pressure. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. lindsay lohan is a free woman this morning. lohan was released from rehab yesterday after serving 23 days of a 90-day sentence. unconfirmed reports say doctors found lohan was not addicted to drugs or alcohol. elsewhere, tmz reports rachel uchitel told a close

friend now that tiger woods is single, she wants him back. the website says uchitel hopes he reaches out, quoting her as saying "i'd give up everything to be with him again." 19-year-old single mother bristol palin will make $14,000 next month speaking in louisville at a fund-raiser for homes for single mothers. organizers justify the cost, saying palin charges less than other big names. and finally, paris hilton woke up yesterday to the sounds of a man pounding on glass doors of her multimillion dollar hollywood hills home. the man who reportedly carried knives but never got into the house was arrested and charged with felony burglary. hilton kept her composure. she even tweeted about the incident, took a picture of cops hand kuching -- handcuffing the suspect.

back legs, flowers, they regurgitate the nectar. >> what would he would do without wikipedia. >> it's up here this comes to us from wesh news channel 2 in orlando, florida, where a new spaceship was tested that could one day take ordinary folks to the final frontier. the dragon spacecraft prototype was launched in a low-altitude test flight yesterday, simulating a return from space. the manufacturer hopes to one day build a fleet that will carry people into space. for now, though, nasa will use the fleet to send cargo to the international space station. lift-off is expected later this year. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. talk about a fab find.

an english photographer discovered never-before-seen pictures of the fab four that had been collecting dust in his attic for nearly 50 years. the photos show the beatles casually hanging out well before the mass hysteria that would normally follow them. that's because these were snapped in 1963, a year before beatlemania took the world by storm. a full moon has an eerie reputation, but in greece, it's a tourist attraction. archaeological sites like the acropolis opened up to the public for free the night of the full moon, which in august is considered the most beautiful. tourists came out to marvel at the impressive color and moonlighting in what's become a 13-year tradition in greece. you've seen robots that can walk and talk.

so what's next? apparently, the ability to smell. scientists in japan implanted genetically modified frog cells into a robot which absorbs odor and then sends a signal to a computer sensor. why would this keen sense come in handy, you may be wondering? well, scientists hope it will lead to a nurse robot that detects changes in patients from their body odor. which, apparently, there's a shortage of people to smell patients. >> there would be a shortage of that. it could sniff shoes to tell you if the shoes should be washed. >> yeah, or if you need to take a shower, you know. you need a robot to give you a hint. >> or if you should enter a bathroom or not. >> oh, i hope it doesn't do that. well, time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. the military gives an update on u.s. aid efforts in flood-ravaged pakistan. according to the united nations,

the disaster has cut off about 800,000 people. an american icon takes his place in history. kermit the frog joins the smithsonian's national museum of american history. the original kermit, along with other jim henson characters, are being donated to the museum. jane henson, a muppet co-founder, will be on hand along with the "today" show's willard scott. and it's the big 8-oh for one 007. today, "james bond" actor sir sean connery celebrates his 80th birthday. all day long, you can stay on the latest developments on 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 full recap of the biggest winners and losers from tuesday's primaries. and elin nordegren breaks her silence about what really happened the night of tiger woods' car accident. 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 your nbc station.

today," just your first stop of the day today your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com