this morning on "early today," healter swelter. half the country continues to melt in record breaking high temperatures. congressman in crisis, the latest twist in the twitter scandal surrounding anthony weiner. and pachyderm panic, two wild elephants go on a deadly rampage in southern india. 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 the sizzling spring. across much of the nation, the heat is on.

the soaring mercury from texas to new england already has many hoping these temperatures aren't foreshadowing a summer season that's still weeks away. nbc's kurt gregory reports. >> reporter: with temperatures soaring into the 90s, new yorkers are trying to beat the excessive heat. >> my apartment is as warm inside as it is housed. -- outside. >> reporter: but the extreme heat can also be deadly. five possible heat-related deaths have already been reported in three states. and cooling centers for the elderly are open in st. louis and chicago, where health safety workers are going door to door checking on senior citizens. >> do they have an air condition, do they have a fan? >> reporter: record-breaking highs of 99 degrees in baltimore and washington, while philadelphia hit a record-breaking 97 degrees. blistering conditions for work crews, but not everybody was miserable. >> i like the heat. i've waited for it all winter.

>> reporter: the broiling heat meant a short day of classes for students near philadelphia and in new jersey. >> it is hot in the schools. they don't have air-conditioning. >> reporter: no ac needed for these kids in camden as temperatures soared all the way to texas where it's very hot and very dry. >> we've gone 134 days without a half inch of rain in the city of houston. >> reporter: rain and water were not a problem in monroe, michigan. where these youngsters kept cool the old fashioned way, with squirt guns and super soakers. kurt gregory, nbc news. >> anything that works. amid his so-called twitter scandal, the pressure is mounting for congressman anthony weiner to step down, and it's building within his own party. new revelations have made the timing of the new york democrat's career crisis all the more painful. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the new revelations include the

release of an x-rated photo that andrew breitbart said he would not release and now it's on-line and we've learned the congressman could be a father. nbc news has confirmed congressman anthony weiner's wife, huma ab be din traveling overseas with secretary hillary clinton is pregnant. the news comes as democrats join the chorus of lawmakers calling on weiner to resign. >> lying to the public i think your credibility is shot and i think anthony would be better served moving on to something else. >> that's up to him and his constituents and his family, but i think at this point, it would probably be a good thing if he would go ahead and resign. >> reporter: now, a new photo is out, reportedly of weiner's genitals. the blogger who broke the story claims weiner e-mailed it to a woman. the blogger says it was released on-line without his permission. weiner's spokesperson apologized, but did not deny the photo is authentic. an investigation could determine

if holding news conferences on capitol hill to lie is an ethics violation. >> he used his office and the power of his office to deceive and lie by his own admission. i think yes, he has to go. >> reporter: the republican party is pressuring democrats to return donations from weiner, some already have. now weiner has been off the radar since he made that shocking public announcement, admitting his guilt. he apparently has been on the phone talking to some of his colleagues, apologizing for his behavior. lynn? >> tracie pots in washington, thanks. now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. a los angeles family's night of fun turned violent last october when a response to noise complaints of one family's halloween party for kids led to accusations of excessive force. newly released home video shows police using batons as they attempt to arrest a partygoer. the police are investigating the

behavior and the family has filed a lawsuit. one washington driver's road rage was captured on video. not your everyday driver interaction, he smeared his cheese danish across the windshield of another motorist who confronted him about speeding through the area. the tape was turned over to the employer of the danish attacker, the department of transportation. he's been placed on administrative leave. a life of crime isn't all it's cracked up to be for one tennessee robbery suspect. the aspiring burglar attempted to break into a store using a large stone. well, didn't go so well. he tried over half a dozen times before giving up on his smash and grab scene. finally, in washington, one family of geese received a police escort on a stretch of highway. a seattle bound morning rush commuters were forced to make way until the mother and her flock found an off ramp and safely cleared the interstate. now for a look at your national and regional weather,

here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. he has your weather channel forecast. good morning. folks out west are probably the only people in some areas that are having some relief from this heat we're seeing in other parts of the country. >> no one is ever happy. it's cool out there, they probably want some of the warmth, want to wear their shorts and tank tops. as far as the nation goes this is an impressive heat wave. yesterday areas in the red 90 degrees. literally pretty much slice the pie in half, the whole south side of the country and eastern side was in the 90s while the west was much cooler than that, and also the northern portion of the country. billings in 50 and west coast it was chilly too. the weather mat pattern is changing, not a lot but a little bit. want to see a couple more storm systems coming onshore here. we were in like a blocking weather pattern, the weather was stagnant, wasn't changing. we got our storm system kicking through the rockies, another storm system coming into the

pacific northwest and british columbia and high pressure trying to build off the coast. this is keeping us kind of -- the marine layer along the coastal community, don't expect a lot of sunshine early in the day. definitely cloudy to start your morning from san diego to l.a. to san francisco. i know sacramento, many valley locations will see a beautiful thursday with our friends in oregon. that's a look at0. in seattle, mostly cloudy and 68. lynn, we'll talk friday when we come back. >> our favorite one. thanks so much. also coming up, opec won't boost, banks lose a big vote and a possible fallback for a scandal-ridden congressman. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, "the hangover part 2" may still be in theaters, but that hasn't stopped one cast member from spilling the beans

and plot line for "hangover 3." coming up, a couple of walk-offs in baseball. david ortiz frustrates the yankees and how do the boston bruins turn a loss into a big win? 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. a chinese central bank adviser warns that gop lawmakers are, quote, playing with fire by considering even a brief debt default. republicans want budget cuts in exchange for raising the borrowing limit, which the u.s. will hit in august. a lightning strike at a mississippi military base sent 77 cadets to the hospital. no one was directly hit. all went to the hospital as a precaution. at the murder trial of casey anthony, a computer expert testified that several internet

searchs were done on neck breaking and homemade chloroform which can render a person unconscious on that computer that anthony had access to. she's accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter. her attorneys maintain the child accidentally drown. a day after rupert murdoch news corp paid thousands to siena miller for hacking her phone reports in england allege kate middleton's information was targeted by a private investigator who at the time was working for two murdoch tabloids. also targeted sarah ferguson, eric clapton and tony blair. in india two wild elephants went on a rampage killing several persons and injuring several cows which are sacred there. they were captured and will be released into the forest. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,048 after dipping 21 points yesterday. the s&p shed 5 points. the nasdaq lost 26. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo,

the nikkei inched up 17 points. in hong kong, the hang seng was down 51. another dose of disappointing economic news drove stocks lower on the street for a sixth straight day. yesterday's weak data came from the fed's beige book survey. the nationwide anecdotal report seemed to confirm a recovery stall, showing an economic slowdown in several key regions so far this year. the energy sector managed modest gains, fueled in part by opec's decision to keep oil output at current levels after iran refused to agree with saudi arabia's push to increase supply. meanwhile, exxon mobil announced its purchase of two gas companies phillips resources and twp for about $1.7 billion. corporate reports did little to reassure investors. retailer abercrombie & fitch fell more than 5% after warning its second quarter earnings will come in below expectations.

network equipmentmaker sienna tumbled 16% after reporting a larger than expected quarterly loss. the senate dealt a blow to the nation's banks refusing to delay new rules aimed at slashing debit card transaction fees. a correction on one story we reported yesterday. turns out the woman who claims to have had her facebook friends tattooed on her arms were a fraud. the tattoos were fake. finally, one dating website hopes anthony weiner will quit his day job. the site, geared towards men with money seeking women, has offered the congressman $50,000 to be a spokesman. prince hits two, the pirates walk-off winners and the sox stop the yanks again. plus, on home ice, the red hot bruins tie up the stanley cup finals. your early morning sports headlines are just ahead. in weather, the record-breaking heat wave will be over as we head towards the weekend.

thunderstorms, widespread. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, looking doomed, down two games to none after leaving vancouver, boston bruins have suddenly climbed back into the stanley cup final. here's nbc's fred roggin with an

early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. after losing one of their best players to a vicious hit in game three of the stanley cup finals, boston bruins didn't get mad, nope, they got even. game four of the finals. rich peverly filled in for the injured nathan horton and made an immediate impact. he beat luango on the break away. bruins up 1-0 after one. that was the beginning of a rough night for louango. canucks goalie made the right play, broke up the pass, but the puck deflected into the air and into the net. when it rains, it pours. pulled after perfect early's second goal. on the other end, tim thomas, another stellar night. 38 saves. third shutout of the playoffs. bruins even the series with a 4-0 win. game five tomorrow on nbc. on tuesday night, the red sox david ortiz flipped his bat into the air after hitting a home run against the yankees. that didn't sit well with the yankee manager joe girardi. if you don't want ortiz to show

up your pitcher, don't let him hit a home run. easier said than done. ortiz deep. no bat flip here, but by the looks of it, gerardi didn't like that home run, either. boston won it, 11-6. to milwaukee where prince fielder hit a pair of homers against the mets. tied the game in the eighth. stayed that way until the bottom of nine, one aboard for morgan and sent everybody home with a smile. walk-off single down a line. bruins rally to beat the mets, 6-5. from one walk off to another. pirates and diamondbacks tied at two in the 12th. andrew mccutchen stepped in and stepped out, a solo shot inside the foul pole, pirates won it, 3-2. the play of the night wasn't a home run or a goal. it was a catch from chris cog lin. got horizontal in centerfield. it's worth another look. number 8 is great for the marlins but not enough. the braves won in extras. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. kim kardashian finds sudden complications on her way towards the wedding aisle. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, coming up, proof that all around the nation, all creatures

great and small are just looking for a way to cool off. you're watching "early today."

welcome back on this thursday morning. temperatures are still cool along coastal areas and the clouds will linger. we have the june doom setting up with the marine layer to the coast. it's going to be a beautiful day

today, oregon looking today from portland to medford, no problems, much of washington state looking partly cloudy and temperatures just a little below average. friday looks okay too. we're not seeing any too dramatic here. just showers and storms from idaho to montana. looks like we're in for a tranquil period of weather. watching us on knsd my news 3 in las vegas, nevada, take a look, enjoy the fresh air and see palms kak ti and other plants native to the area at gardens of the springs preserve and that's your pacific event of the day. >> thanks so much. now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. in the wake of anthony weiner's twitter scandal, is alec baldwin considering a run for new york city mayor? a friend told "the daily" he's thinking about it now that weiner's presumably out. baldwin's rep said he wouldn't rule it out. how big is justin bieber right now? country purists were shaking their heads last night after bieber picked up a cmt award for

best collaborative video along with rascal flatts. i'm not going to fight that. zach tells "rolling stone" in "hangover 3" his character will end up in a mental hospital with the other guys trying to break him out. e-news reports kim kardashian is finalizing a prenup to her marriage. this after in touch magazine reports she cheated on her fiancee with nfl player brett lockett. he says he has the pictures and text to prove it but she is threatening to sue. finally, actress edie falco summed it up when asked about kim kardashian by saying, who are these people? why are they famous? >> i love edie, but that was the question we were asking like three years ago. >> welcome to the world of reality tv stars. being on every single tabloid magazine. >> i guess we all accept it at a different rate. >> exactly. >> we're shaking our heads in disbelief, but it is what it is. this comes to us from

west 2 news in orlando, florida, where even the wildlife know the best places to hang out for rest and relaxation. growing up in pennsylvania, bear encounters were common for jenny, but she was more than a little surprised encountering one poolside in florida. she discovered a black bear taking a dip in her jacuzzi. a bit shocked but not frightened. she showed hospitality letting the animal cool off before scaring it away. maybe she didn't get the memo the jacuzzi is probably not so cool. >> jump in the pool. >> maybe she needed a little heat. get the bubbles going. >> like bizarre day, i'm sure. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

a symbolic torch arrived in its new home for the 2012 olympic games. the aluminum tube was unveiled in london yesterday. it's designed with 8,000 holes representing how many miles it will travel along with the number of people who will carry it through britain. the triangular shape is important, symbolizing the three times london has hosted the summer games. another rare cork flower had sprouted. this time in the u.s. when the flower blooms, it gives off the stench of rotting flesh, hence its unique nickname. the plant is growing inside a greenhouse in washington state where botanist say the odor will linger for days but that's not stopping tourists from stopping

by for a smell and look. it's a unique love story straight out of a hollywood movie. corey and john's dogs became fast friends at a florida dog park. the inseparable dogs wore off on their owners and soon the two were dating. eight months later, the couple made the puppy love at first sight official tying the knot and now stroll through the park as husband and wife. the end. playing the role of corey will be meg ryan. >> i claim all movie rights. >> and tom hanks. >> the only thing they didn't do was share spaghetti. i'm like -- >> no kidding. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. the so-called barefoot bandit is due in a seattle courtroom today where he's expected to plead not guilty to a bank burglary charge. he earned his nickname for a spree of shoeless crimes including stealing a boat and plane, ending with his arrest in the bahamas last summer. morgan freeman will receive the american film institute's life achievement award in los

angeles, one of the cinema's highest honors. past recipients include orson wells, alfred hitch kok and harrison ford. >> and donald duck, the foul tempered cartoon character made his screen debut on this day in 1934. all day day long you can stay on top of the 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. take a look back at ann curry's important stories and groundbreaking interviews on her first official day as co-anchor. find out the latest on new york congressman anthony weiner as more colleagues call for his resignation. keep it on this channel for weather, sports and more. i'm lynn barry. thanks for watching "early today," your first stop of the day, today, on your nbc station. today," your first stop of the day, today, on your nbc station. have a good one.

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