hello and good morning, i'm high anxiety. world markets react to first ever downgrade of u.s. debt. family feud. why a new york city man family feud. why a new york city man purposely drove his father's an intocc1: a central park pond. and hot air scare. a chinese daredevil loses his balance during a death defying a chinese daredevil loses his balance during a death defying stunt. 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 historic downgrade. around the world, financial

markets are on edge, after the united states' credit rating was knocked down a notch friday. united states' credit rating was knocked down a notch friday. this morning, u.s. futures are already taking a hit, as are asian markets. nbc's brian mooar has the latest. >> reporter: president obama didn't show the heat as he returned from a weekend at camp david, despite the u.s. credit downgrade by standard & poor's. but now his administration has downgrade by standard & poor's. but now his administration has to convince the world that s&p got it wrong, and the united states is still a sound investment. states is still a sound investment. s&p stripped our n rating, dropping us into an investment league with new zealand and belgium. rating, dropping us into an investment league with new >> it's about the difficulty of all sides in finding, you know, a consensus around fiscal policy choices now and in the future. a consensus around fiscal policy choices now and in the future. >> and if the fiscal positio the united states deteriorates further or if the political gridlock becomes more entrenched, then that could lead to a downgrade. >> reporter: still, there's no sign of a partisan truce.

>> this is essentialal tea party downgrade. >> this is essentialal tea party downgrade. the tea party brought us to the brink of a default. >> well, if they'd listened to the tea party, we'd have $4 trillion reductions in debt over time and not been downgraded. >> reporter: the financial fallout starts as the world markets open for monday fallout starts as the world markets open for monday busi >> the initial reaction, in my : judgment, is going to be negative. >> reporter: experts expect an increase in interest rates, and the whole world is watching to see what happens next. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. and treasury secretary timothy geithner was quick to take aim at standard & poor's. last night, in an exclusive interview with cnbc's john harwood, he slammed the credit rating agency's decision. >> i think s&p's shown really terrible judgment, and they've handled themselves very poorly terrible judgment, and they've handled themselves very poorly and they've shown a stun k of knowledge about basic cc1: u.s. fiscal budget math. and i think they drew exactly the wrong conclusion from this budget agreement.

>> meanwhile, geithner has told president obama he's staying put in his job as treasury secretary. geithner is now the last remaining member of the geithner is now the last remaining member of the president's original economi across the nation, people are mourning the 30 american service members killed in an attack this weekend in afghanistan. nbc's frances coe has more on the deadliest single loss for u.s. forces in the nearly decade-long war in afghanistan. >> reporter: the close-knit naval community in virginia beach paused sunday morning to remember and pray for the 30 servicemen killed over the weekend in afghanistan. >> my heart goes out to them. i know the boys were doing what they loved and always would do that. and they live for that. but to lose them is tough. >> reporter: navy s.e.a.l. aaron but to lose them is tough. >> reporter: navy s.e.a.l. aaron vaughn was based i beach.1: 2 s.e.a.l.s cc1: killed in the attack. the 30-year-old leaves behind a wife and two young children. the 30-year-old leaves behind a wife and two young children. >> you just feel like what he was doing was his duty, and we were very proud of him.

>> reporter: eight other u.s. service members died in the crash. service members died in the crash. in afghanistan, u.s. off say the crew had just completed a rescue mission to help a u.s. army ranger unit that had come a rescue mission to help a u.s. army ranger unit that had come under fire. chopper was u.s. troops are working to remove the debris from the crash site even as fighting continues in the area. while back home, military communities across the country continue to deal with the overwhelming loss of 30 american heroes. frances coe, nbc news. heroes. frances coe, nbc news. well, to london now where fresh unrest erupted yesterday following a violent riot earlier this weekend that left buildings charred. extra police were on the streets sunday after clashes saturday sparked by the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old father of four by a police officer. authorities described him as a gangster. his friends doubted a police report that he allegedly fired first at an officer. over the weekend a total of 35

officers were injured and 160 were arrested. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. a serene saturday afternoon in new york's central park was interrupted by a family feud. park dwellers scattered to avoid a speeding minivan driven by a son looking to hit his dad where it hurts. the driver intentionally drove the van into the pond. the driver intentionally drove the van into the pond. payback, he says, to his father for loving the vehicle more than him. no one was hurt, and the driver was arrested. the king and queen of the waves were crowned in california this weekend, wiping out the competition on their way to taking top spots at the u.s. open of surfing. along with taking home trophies, open of surfing. along with taking home trophies, they also took top cash prizes called the ing1: richest surfing event of the year. and finally in connecticut, one fisherman has quite a story to tell and the pictures to

prove it. using live eel bait, greg managed to pull in an 81-pound striped bass from a connecticut waterway. he's waiting for his catch and new record to be officially he's waiting for his catch and new record to be officially confirmed. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. karins with the weather channel forecast. >> welcome back, by the missed me so much. >> i did. the tears wouldn't top rolling. >> i thought so. >> good morning, everyone. as far as the west goes, its taps per stijtd forecast. that means whatever happened yesterday for the most part is going to happen again today. coastal area, the nihttime clouds, the morning clouds burn coastal area, the nihttime clouds, the morning clouds burn off, hopefully, then you get a decent afternoon.cc1: san francisco, you're one of the coolest spots in the country. that continues. we're at 55 this morning. 61 in l.a. for coastal areas you have the cloud, interior less clouds in the valleys and they'll have a good deal of sunshine. the weather pattern's not

changing. just a couple of weak troughs. there's no big storms on the way. the heat through the middle of the country will slowly work through the rest. the country will slowly work through the rest. it won't be a wave. that's about it. otherwise what you see is kind of what you get out there. sunshine continues today and dry weather. 75 in seattle, 78 in portland. this is a nice stretch for spring, maybe fall. people would like a little bit of heat. people would like a little bit of heat. that's just not case. only 69 today in san francisco, 81 in l.a. >> we'll have an update on tomorrow's forecast, not that there's anything breaking news >> we'll have an update on tomorrow's forecast, not that weather-wise.

>> stick around for that. >> you can enjoy this and wait to get it again. >> good sell. the u.s. debt downgrade won't just affect stocks. and coming up, a look at some of the other ripples to expect. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus they find themselves at the top of the evolutionary ladder this weekend at the box office. >> first place on the line at fenway. the mets lose more than just a game and a caddie's caddie. 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. fresh artillery fire is being reported in syria one day after claims of at least 42 people killed in an intensifying government crackdown on protesters. for the first time, syria's arab neighbors have condemned the regime. authorities say a northeast

ohio man went on a neighborhood shooting rampage killing seven people including his girlfriend before being shot and killed by police. no word on a possible motive. startling new revelations about the private life of jacqueline kennedy. england's "sunday express" claims secret audio tapes being released to abc by her daughter caroline reveal the former first lady believed her husband's assassination was part of a conspiracy involving then-vice president lyndon b. johnson and a group of texas tycoons. the paper also claims mrs. kennedy had her own affairs with hollywood star william holden and fiat car mogul, gianni agnelli. abc is denying the story's accuracy. and scary moments for a tight rope walker in china, when high winds caused him to fall during a stunt between two hot air balloons. fortunately, he managed to catch the wire and pull himself to

safety. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 11,444, after gaining 60 points on friday. the s&p was down a fraction. the nasdaq lost 23. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo the nikkei skid 202 points. while in hong kong the hang seng dropped 455. as we reported earlier, today wall street will have its first reaction to friday's first-ever u.s. downgrade by standard & poor's. don't necessarily expect armageddon. after recent heavy losses and a weekend for investors to digest the downgrade, analysts have fingers crossed today's stock impact will be relatively modest. still, asian markets across the pacific were heavily down today. also in asia, oil continued its sharp fall. now below $84 a barrel. the downgrade may have other immediate effects. a number of key american financial components, including mortgage financers fannie mae and freddie mac are likely to be

downgraded themselves later today. that could make mortgages more expensive, adding stress to the already unstable housing market. today investors will also focus on europe's ongoing debt crisis. officials there worked throughout the weekend trying to help italy, the world's eighth largest economy, avoid a bailout, and halt fears of a debt default. and on both europe and america's downgrade the group of seven industrial countries issued a statement late last night saying they were taking all necessary measures to night saying they were taking all necessary measures to support financia growth.cc1: tomorrow the fed meets. expected to hold interest rates at their current low. some still hold out hope for another round of billions in bond buying stimulus. elsewhere, 45,000 verizon workers went on strike sunday, unable to agree on a new contract. and finally, sunday, warren buffett's berkshire hathaway made a $3.25 billion buyout offer for reinsurer transatlantic holdings.

well, a bitter caddie enjoys sweet revenge. the mets postseason hopes end up on the trainer's table. and a nascar driver wins despite a serious handicap. plus it's only fitting a back and forth game concluded the yankees and red sox back and forth weekend series battling for first place. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. and we just finished another hot and humid weekend. today, even hotter in some locations. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports it's almost a ritual of the summer. the red sox and yankees battling head-to-head for first place. here's nbc's bill seward with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> hi, everybody. if you're a baseball fan, it doesn't get much better than the yankees and red sox with first place on the line at fenway. pick it up in the ninth inning, sox down one, man on third, all dustin pedroia has to do is hit it deep and he does exactly that. sac fly to left, in came the tying run and we're off to extra innings. they completed the comeback in the tenth. josh reddick with an rbi single into the corner. red sox walk off with a 3-2 win, take over first place in the a.l. east. to texas, where the rangers hung a five spot on the indians in the eighth.

elvis anders scored a pair to give texas the lead. they beat the tribe 5-3. rays and a's. that rhymes. so does this, wham, bam, thank you josh willingham. solo shot in the tenth put oakland on top. they win it 5-4. tough day for the mets. jose reyes left the game with a strained hamstring. daniel murphy, likely out for the season after tearing his mcl on this play at second. add insult to injury, the braves' chipper jones singling in the go-ahead run in the ninth. mets lose in more ways than one 6-5. nascar, despite breaking his ankle earlier in the week, brad keselowski fought through the pain and won his second race of the year at pocono. finally the big story in golf this weekend was supposed to be tiger woods' return. instead, his recently fired caddie stole the spotlight at the bridgestone invitational. woods struggled for the third straight day, bogeyed at 6, finished 1 over, tied for second. no struggle for adam scott.

with tiger's old caddie steve williams on the bag, scott dominated and won the bridgestone by four strokes. eighth victory of the year for williams. 145 wins as a caddie. 72 of them with tiger. but stevie says this one trumps them all. was that a shot at his old boss? to be continued at the pga championship this weekend. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm bill seward. well n the year of the r-rated come ed, how did the one opening this weekend do at the box office? your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, the very first memorial for the men and women who fought and sacrificed so bravely in iraq. you're watching "early today."

welcome back on this monday morning. temperatures continue to be a little bit below average. the interior west has been warmer. vegas nice and toasty at 106. many areas in interior nevada, interior california upper 80s and 90s. this afternoon should be nice seattle, to portland, to medford. los angeles this week your temperatures will continue somewhere right around 75 to 80. if you watch us on news 3 las vegas, nevada. pack a picnic, dinner, and head to nearby henderson to enjoy a monday night flick with the

family at picnic and a movie. bill, thanks so much. now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. morning's headlines in entertainment. a big surprise t box office wasn't who won but by how much.1: "rise of the planet of the apes" took in a whopping $54 million to open number one, taking in $15 million to $20 million more than analysts expected. the family film "the smurfs" had a strong second weekend. again taking second place with an impressive $21 million. the star-packed sci-fi western "cowboys & aliens," last weekend's soft first place finisher fell to third disappointing with under $16 million. and finally the weekend's big bust. ryan reynolds and jason bateman's comedy "the change-up" which opened at a weak number four with just $13.5 million. >> are you okay with that? you sound a little sad.

his career will be okay. you sound a little sad. his career will be okay. you think ryan will be all right? >> he'll get himself back in there so us girls can watch him again. this comes to us from boise, idaho, where a nearby cascade, honoring one soldier's ultimate sacrifice led to a memorial for thousands of military men and women. thousands gathered for the statue. the live sculpture was statue. the live sculpture was commissioned by friends family four years after the 19-year-old was killed in iraq. it is the first iraq war statue erected in america for a hometown hero and vets nationwide who died for their country. i'm lynn berry. this is "early today" just your first stop of the day on your nbc station.

we'll spare you the why did the chicken cross the road joke, and just show you. at the annual hen racing championships in england, over 30 of the world's fastest chickens compete for top ten. bill's in there somewhere. owners stand at the finish line egging them on with food. the winning time was eight seconds. while others lost interest and didn't even reach the end. >> look at his feet. well, the sky is the limit for one aviation enthusiast in china. he builds his own flying machines using designs off the internet. piloting his own inventions, he claims to have traveled up to 60

miles per hour thousands of feet in the air. so far, it's all for leisure but in the future he hopes they could be used in rescue operations and exploration. well, one zoo owner in the ukraine will do just about anything for a little attention. he's pledged to live in a cage with a female lion for 35 days to raise awareness about wildlife treatment and set a world record. the two eat, sleep and just hang out 24 hours a day. he's no stranger to the lioness, though. she was his family's house pet for two years. are they snuggling? >> they are snuggling. i think they purr, too. it would be a loud purr. >> and it would be terrifying. i don't know why he'd want to do that, but good for him. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. 16 pieces of steel recovered from the world trade center will arrive in denver, colorado, accompanied by a military escort. the artifacts will be on display as part of a september 11th

memorial. and at a counterterrorism education center. similar pieces are going to all 50 states, ahead of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. on this day in 1974, president richard nixon announced his resignation in a televised address from the oval office. effective the next day, following damaging revelations in the watergate scandal. and happy birthday to dustin hoffman. he turns 74. 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" exclusive, reality tv mom kate gosselin is back to talk about dating and life minus jon. and meet the 61-year-old woman who is attempting to swim from cuba to the florida keys without the aid of a shark cage. 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.