this morning on "early today," disaster zone. a devastating and deadly earthquake strikes new zealand's second largest city. caught off guard, a dashboard camera captures a brazen attack on an ohio police officer. and global katrina. england's chief scientist warns the earth is way overdue for a ferocious solar storm. 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 searching for survivors. this morning, new zealand is

scrambling to find people trapped under the rubble of a massive 6.3 earthquake. it struck midday yesterday in christchurch, the country's second largest city. the country's prime minister says so far at least 65 people are confirmed dead with that death toll expected to rise. this marks the second major earthquake endured by the southern new zealand city in just five months. hopefully no one was killed in the previous quake. however, this quake is proving to be much more devastating, in part because it was closer to the surface and centered the nearer to the city's main population. it also took place during lunchtime when the streets were crowded with people. christchurch's mayor described the city of 350,000 as a war zone and has declared a state of emergency. new zealand's prime minister warned, quote, we may well be witnessing new zealand's darkest day. elsewhere, libya may be on

the brink of collapse this morning as key diplomates, government officials and several military units have turned against gadhafi.ç he lost that support yesterday after ordering security forces to open fire on protesters in the country's capital. but even with demonstrators reportedly in control of libya's second largest city, gadhafi made a brief, bizarre appearance on state tv and remained defiant, denying rumors he had left the country. in a statement yesterday, secretary of state hillary clinton condemned what she called unacceptable bloodshed in libya noting the world is watching the country, quote, with alarm. meanwhile, here at home, an uprising to wisconsin proposed budgets has sparked demonstrations across the country. state democrats are still in hiding preventing a vote and wisconsin's governor is not backing down. nbc's jay gray has our report. >> reporter: for more than a

week now, it's been demonstrations not legislation inside the wisconsin state capital. thousands of public employee union workers continue to protest the governor scott walker's plan to balance the budget by calling on unions to pay more toward their pensions, their health care, and give up their collective bargaining power for everything but wages. 14 state senate democrats have fled the state to deny a quorum for republicans to pass walker's bill. but it will only take one to cross party lines for the vote to be held. >> i will not be the 20th vote, i can assure you that. >> reporter: walker wants them back right now. >> the time is up. it's time for them to come back and participate in democracy. >> reporter: democracy that union workers say is being denied and it's a feeling that seems to be spreading. monday, similar union protests were held in statehouses,

across the country, including oklahoma, west virginia, and in indiana where union leaders say they'll hold a week of protests against similar budget cut efforts. jay gray, msnbc news. and now here's a look at stories making news early today in america. in ohio, a police officer feared for his life after being attacked during a traffic stop. the officer was taken down and repeatedly kicked before he was able to get up and hold the men off at gun point. the officer is recovering from abrasions and a broken nose. in pennsylvania, one college basketball coach was way out of bounds when he attacked one of his players during practice. the player left with a bloody face and was then thrown out of practice. it's unclear what triggered the coach's actions, but holy family university has suspended him. in missouri, a massive fire ripped through a plastics recycling plant. the blaze was so intense, firefighters could only battle the flames from a distance.

heavy snoek smoke and hazardous fumes made the smoke too dangerous. no injuries were reported. finally, in pennsylvania, the 17th annual egg drop competition inspired some unique contraptions. the contest challenges teens to create a device that will protect the egg from the impact of a 34 foot drop down a steel cable. the winner gets a cash prize while the losers end up with, what else, still some egg on their face. let's get a look at your national and regional weather, let's check in with nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast.ç a one-two purchl. >> lynn, i'm so over those easy jokes. >> you're the master of the easy joke. >> you missed that. come on. we'll work on. >> so it begins. let's talk about the forecast. snow is exiting the mid-atlantic, and up in the northwest we're getting ready for the mechanics storm.

it's already moving in. it will be a one-two punch. temperatures are cold, and even areas at the low elevations like seattle are going to be picking up snow. not so much today, but more or less wednesday might into thursday. could be muff to require shoveling. the pin while down the coast and there's a watch on satellite, but up many the northwest is where all the entertainment is. that's where the cold front one went through. mother cold front is going to go through tomorrow. temperatures are going to plunge. we already have snowshowers at the high elevations. rainshowers on interstate 5 from portland north wards to olympia, but the main show is going to come, as i mentioned, about 24 to 48 hours from now. it's a 48 hour snowfall forecast. you can see where the mountains are here. they're going to get nailed with 6 to 12 or maybe one to two feet, but even seattle, bellingham, olympia, it could be cold enough. even spokane, too, will be picking up snow in the days ahead. we'll fine tune that forecast for you tomorrow. that's a quick look at your ma showery today,

but chance of snow tomorrow. lynn, wednesday forecast coming up. >> all right, bill. thanks. also coming up, oil rises on fears japan's slump continues and one egyptian father's unique tribute to the revolution. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, it's practically the most famous haircut since the beatles. well, teen heartthrob justin bieber just bot it chopped. another game. mother upset in the big east, and the mellowdrama is finally over. carmelo anthony dealt in a mega deal. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning. u.s. officials confirmed the american man at the center of a

diplomatic standoff with pakistan is, in fact, a cia contractor. raymond davis has been held in a pakistani jail since late january after killing two men he claims were trying to rob him. the u.s. has insisted davis be released, saying he has diplomatic immunity. california investigators are trying to determine what caused a driver to lose control of his bus and slam into a car before sliding 50 feet down a mountain. one passenger was killed and ten others seriously hurt. the bus was carrying more than 20 people home from a religious retreat, most of them teenagers. an english scientist is warning the sun is long overdue for major erupgs which he claims could result in a "global katrina." such a storm could send waves of radiation to earth that could knock out communication systems, ground planes, and trigger mass blackouts. japan is celebrating the

arrival of two massive pandas on loan from china. both countries hope it will improve bilateral relations. >> and now here's an early look at one of your top health headlines on msnbc.com. a mu survey reveals among people age 45 to 54 the largest age group in the population, one in mine shows signs of hearing impairment. at least 29 million americans currently live with hearing loss. most commonly men, older adults and those exposed to loud noises. for more information on this anç other health stories, check out the health page at msnbc.com. >> narrator: early today health is brought to you by the vagisil screening kit. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,391 after gaining 73 points on friday. the s&p inched up 2 points and the nasdaq added 2. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo,

the nikkei plunged 192 points while in hong kong, the hang seng tumbled 494. after a long holiday weekend, traders will take on inflation fears as the price of oil spikes in response to violence in libya. u.s. crude oil futures charged to two and a half year highs on concerns violence in libya could cut more of the opec members output and potential spread in the region. on wall street, earnings from several retailers will give investors a report on consumer confidence and the latest data on home prices. overseas this morning, japan's credit rating was downgraded from stable to negative over rising concerns about its growing debt. the ceo of houston based power plant firm dynagee has resigned after a buyout offer from billionaire investor carl ikahn fell through.

many deal cheese chesapeake manager will sell a shale field to bhpbilitom. bankrupt rental chain blockbuster has agreed to be bought out by a group of investors for $290 million. rupert murdock's newscorp is buying his daughter's tv news production company shine. that's for $674 million. it produces the hit show "the biggest loser." in the first report, the nation's muly minted watchdog agency will give the nation's largest lenders a positive report card today, finding banks have eased up on rate hikes for credit cards and now have more consumer friendly policies. and in what we can only assume is a facebook first, one man in egypt has shown his gratitude for the social network's role in that country's recent revolution by naming his daughter facebook. probably a first. well, the top 20 big east hoop rivals slug itç out.

the great eight does it single-handed, and the blackhawks give st. louis the blues. plus, is this man the final piece m puzzle that will return basketball respectability to morning city? your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. sfwlirchlgts in weather cold air covers much of the half of the country. your tuesday forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, what could be the world's longest rumored trade has finally happened. now the debate over its results could be argued for even longer. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. after months of speculation and rumors, carmelo anthony finally got what he wanted. according to sources, anthony has been traded to the knicks. it's a three-team blockbuster deal. new york basically gutted its roster to get him. sent four players to denver. the nuggets received three draft picks and $3 million.ç heading to new york will be anthony, chauncey billups and four others. there is more good news for the knicks. they didn't have to give up spike lee to make this trade happen. college hoops, syracuse knocked off number 14 villanova. the orange put it away at the free-throw line.

james bell was all right and hit both free throws to give syracuse a three-point lead. philadelphia had a chance in the final seconds, but lou it away, and syracuse held on to win it 69-64. now to the ice, penns and cavs, first period. alexander ovechkin all alone. ovechkin could get the last laugh, unleashed a flurry in the second period. they beat the penguins, 1-0. the playoffs starting today defending champs would be golfing. patrick kane and jonathan caves did their best to keep chicago in the hunt. both scored their 20th goal of the year against st. louis. black hawks won it, 5-3. finally, matt molson single handedly beat the panthers, gave the islanders a 2-0 lead and capped off his second career hat truck with an empty netter. islanders have won 6 of 7 after beating florida 5-1. that's your early look at sports on "early today."

i'm fred roggin. sandra bullock's ex makes a strange move to rehab his tattered image. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, she's an example for public servants, for seniors, heck, she's an example for us all. you're watching "early today."

welcome back on this tuesday morning. thering forecast in the pacific

northwest the mechanics couple of days. temperatures will come crashing down. storm systems still around with some moisture. we're talking snow, even m city. today it's fine down in the southwest. just rainshowers, seattle and portland. cold front will go through. temperatures will drop. then the snow elevations will too. rain changing to snow. especially wednesday night into thursday. may even be muff to have to shovel a little bit. especially many seattle. if are you bauching us on kt uh-huh tv channel 2 in anchorage, alaska, learn about the state through local historical treasures through living our cull tug, sharing our shartage at the anchorage museum. that's your pacific event of the day. now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. we're not sure how his agent, recording executives and other handlers feel about it, but justin bieber lost his trademark hair style and likes his look. jay demarcus of rascal flats tweeted a picture of bieber. bieber himself tweeted that he saved the hair to auction off for charity.

and then there's bieber and girlfriend sell evena gomez. the 16-year-old recently phoned into an order to a florist and filled her house with flowers. multiple trucks were meted for the delivery. the best way to restore your public image probably is not writing a tell-all book. nevertheless, sandra bullock's ex, jesse james, is coming out "american outlaw" later this year. i'm sure that's going to fly off the shelves. i'm too distracted by justin bieber. >> it's nice to see his eyes for once. >> it's not horrible. just different. >> i don't know how the teen girls are going to feel about that. >> what about a new poster some. >> it will be a really difficult film. we'll have to give you some time there on the website to order that.

this comes to us from kxas nbc 5 in dallas, texas, where the mayor of a north texas town is calling it quits after close to half a century of public service. at 94, olive is wrapping up an illustrious career. the shady shores mayor says after working for the people, ten years on the town council and 38 as mayor it's time to pass the torch. from pave says roads to balancing budgets, olive leaves behind a legacy of getting things done, and don't you think she's earned some time for herself? >> that paper was a lot cheaper -- >> don't remind her. go to disneyland, have a little fun, take a vacation, retire. absolutely. >> won't know what to do withç herself. >> absolutely. >> i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today" just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

havanna is lighting up for its annual cigar festival. connoisseurs from around the world travel to cuba for the week-long event to celebrate what is considered to be the world's best handmade cigars. cigar lovers will get a chance to see how the cigars are made. the festival also includes seminars, trips to the factory, and plantations and, of course, tastings. here is one way to make the best of a snowy situation. forget snowmen. this giant igloo is one for the record books, at least that's what canadian officials are hoping for. at nearly 30 feet in diameter, the city claims that's three feet more than the current world record holder. they're have time to figure it out.

in the right conditions, this igloo could hang around for nearly three months. it's always important to pay attention to crossing guards. and to bolivia, that won't be a problem. volunteers slip into zebra suits and invade the streets encouraging drivers to slow down. the city hopes the unique costume sess a better way to hammer home the message of road safety and bring awareness to the high rates of accidents each year, except for those people that are staring at zebras and crash into a lamp post.ç >> not only that, but zebras are black and white and with the black road and the white stripes, they blend right in. >> kind of. >> maybe chicken suits would be more appropriate. >> why don't you test that out right in front of 30 rock. >> tomorrow. >> it's time for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. in chicago, residents head to the polls in the city's much anticipated mayoral race. the outcome of the election will give the windy city a new mayor for the first time since 1989. a rather odd anniversary for supreme court justice clarence thomas. today marks five years since thomas has spoken a word during oral court arguments at the high

court. and although the nation honored our nation's first president george washington by celebrating presidents' day yesterday, today is his actual birthday. washington was born on this day in 1732. 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. find out the latest details on the unrest in the middle east as libya's embattled leader refuses to step down. and get an exclusive look at the gown that made history. princess diana's wedding dress will be on display live in studio 1a. 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. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com