jimmy fallon happening right this morning on "early today," wiggle room. the senate approves temporary funding to avoid a government shutdown, but is it really a done deal? shaken and stirred. newly released video shows tense moments inside the washington monument as an earthquake strikes. and silver lining. divers discover a world war ii shipwreck with a massive treasure haul. >> announcer: this is "early today" for tuesday, september 27, 20 11. 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 shutdown averted. senators managed to put aside their differences, for now at least, passing legislation that will both keep the government in business and keep government relief coming to the victims of this year's many weather-related disasters. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. here's how it happened. 26 republicans joined democrats to pass this measure. they're doing it in two parts. first of all, a temporary extension, which basically extends government funding through tuesday until the house gets back next week. some clean energy programs. they are taking that disagreement off the table. they were able to work out a deal. essentially a two-part deal.

the house will be back in session next tuesday. that is supposed to happen on thursday. and once they are back on tuesday, another -- a longer short term extension to keep government running through november 18. fema gets $2.6 billion when all of this is approved. there is expected to be no government shut down by the end of the week >> tracie potts for us in washington, thank you. well, from investors to job-seekers to small business owners, it is easy to see how the troubled economy is impacting all different kinds of americans. what about our nation's students? as part of nbc's week-long education nation coverage, msnbc contributor and correspondent jeff johnson talked to some

florida students about how their dreams are holding up. >> reporter: as unemployment hovers at the highest level in decades and the economy makes a college education harder to reach, some student at a florida high school are optimistic. >> i feel great about being an american, for the future. >> reporter: at coastal community high they're proud of being ranked ninth in the country by "newsweek" magazine. >> sun coast offers that's so different is the unique atmosphere. everybody is so -- so willing and so ambitious to work and to succeed. >> reporter: but even in a school with 100% graduation rate, where college admission is virtually guaranteed, students are painfully and personally aware of the challenges. >> the economic times has definitely, like, completely changed my mindset about college. >> reporter: ashley is a senior who plans on being the first in her family to go to college. years ago her parents enrolled her in florida's prepaid college tuition program which has eased the strain on their family. william fields has it tougher. his mother was recently laid off and now he's grappling with a new reality.

>> i'll are to cut back, go to state college for two years and try to transfer. >> reporter: the unemployment rate in florida is 10.7%, up to 17.2% for african-americans in south florida. the high school graduation rate is improving but still ranks 44th in the nation. the national urban league of palm beach county is cleanly aware of the problems. they worked to develop one of the best youth programs. >> let's hear it for seniors. >> reporter: providing mentoring skills, training, s.a.t. prep and more so students can do well in high school and beyond. >> we're exposing them to everything and beyond and letting them know there's a life after high school and they have to go for it. >> reporter: tiffany also attends sun coast. her sister graduated with a master's degree but couldn't find work for three years. it's a memory that still haunts tiffany. >> my sister, if they couldn't get a job, what makes me different? >> reporter: in spite of everything, she still has hope.

>> one of new light's principles is create a better future for my people and myself. that's what i want to do. a pray for that. i pray america could be what they used to. >> reporter: back at sun coast, tiffany's peers echo the optimism. >> opportunities are everywhere in america. i'm just very proud to be an american citizen. even though the recession may have people depressed at the time, personally that makes me want to work harder, with all my education i want to improve society. >> reporter: new challenges for a new generation determined in the face of adversity. jeff johnson, msnbc, florida. and now here's a look at some other stories making news "early today" in america. dramatic new video shows scary moments inside the washington monument during last month's 5.8 magnitude earthquake. tourists can be seen running for safety 500 feet up in the tower as debris falls from surrounding

walls. the famed landmark has been deemed secure but park officials say climbers will repel all four faces of the monument to look for any further damage before reopening to the public. in seattle, inspectors from the puget sound energy are checking for natural gas leaks after two people were seriously injured in a violent home explosion. the house was nearly leveled in the blast, which was so powerful, it shattered windows around the block. investigators say the flip of an electrical switch sparked the blowup. and finally in oregon, a dog on the run caused a chaotic commute for some drivers in portland yesterday afternoon. the furry little guy was fast on his feet. even dodging some close calls, cutting across lanes of oncoming traffic before dashing into a side street. he was fine. he got away okay. thankfully. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's meteorologist todd santos he has your weather channel forecast. good morning. >> that is a lucky dog. >> he has serious moves.

>> i want to know why they scrambled a helicopter to follow a dog. i want to take you to the tropics. potential impacts as we work our way to the second half of the weekend. category 3 hurricane. 150 mile per hour sustained winds. right now it is still moving west. it will very likely weaken. but still picking up a lot of the moisture. even extending down towards portland this morning. not huge rainfall amounts. as far as temperatures this morning, upper 50s. 5 down i cast.

of course with the tropics getting involved in the long term forecast, at least for today. >> also coming up, debt action in europe. stocks rise on wall street and a unique send-off for an american snack institution. business headlines are straight ahead. tough talk on the turnpike. new jersey officials disses mtv's "jersey shore." coming up, red sox are finding new ways to lose. an unlikely hero for the cowboys. ozzie guillen has finally had enough.

good morning and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry and here are some top headlines this morning. the justice department has declined to ask a federal appeals court in atlanta to reconsider its ruling declaring part of president obama's health care overhaul unconstitutional. that means the supreme court will likely hear the court via other challenges and could render a verdict in the midst of the 20 12 presidential campaign. at least seven people have been killed by a typhoon in the philippines. the storm has been packing wind gusts of over 100 miles per hour. some of the so-called dead sea scrolls. 2,000-year-old manuscripts containing some of the oldest known biblical texts went online for the first time ever yesterday through a joint effort by israel's national museum and google. and american treasure hunters are working to recover

an english ship packed with silver, sunk off the irish coast after being torpedoed by nazis in 1941. the cargo included 7 million ounces of silver, which would make it the largest amount of precious metal ever recovered from the sea. and at today's prices, the cargo would be worth $210 million. now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 11043 after climbing 272 points yesterday. the s&p nudged up 26 points. the nasdaq gained 33. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo the knee case rose 235 points while in hong kong the hang seng skyrocketed 722. stocks had their biggest gains in more than two weeks monday on signs european officials are finally moving on debt. all talk and no action has left greece teetering. euro banks wobbling and stocks here in a freefall. but monday reports that officials were preparing bold new action and strong words from president obama helped calm

market nerves. stocks gained back about a third of last week's losses. the president challenged euro leaders to act quickly, saying the crisis is scaring the world. not surprisingly, since banks here have the most to lose, financials led gains. both jpmorgan chase and citigroup rose 7%. apple held down the nasdaq falling on reports it's cutting orders from ipad parts suppliers. boeing rose a day after delivering its first 787 dreamliner. berkshire hathaway's b-class stocks soared on news of a share buyback program after investor complaints the stock was undervalued. the securities and exchange commission may file civil action against standard & poor's for its rating of a 2007 mortgage debt offering. the commission may move against the entire rating industry for actions leading to the financial crisis. and finally, the inventor of the dorito, arch west, will be buried as a result in tribute to the 97-year-old's family says

they'll sprinkle some chips in his grave. coming up, the cowboys kick the redskins. the astros bunt the cardinals. and the red sox keep slip sliding away. the tampa bay rays grab another win and a tie for the american league wild card playoff spot. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. and after at least a few days' worth of showers across a few areas, changes in the forecast coming up. you're watching "early today." s

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports last night the agony continued for the cursed boston red sox. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. the red sox's september collapse has hit a new low against one of the worst teams in baseball. orioles, tied 2-2 in the sixth. davis doubled down the line, go ahead run came in, baltimore up 3-2. andino with a shot to deep center. ellsbury made the grab but dropped the ball when he hit the wall and bases were cleared. andino came around for an inside the park homer. red sox are finding new ways to lose falling 6-3. rays need a win to get a pull in the wild card race and they got it against the yankees. damon with an rbi single and

capped off the win with defense. jennings laid out to make the sno-cone grab. to the n.l., braves in a similar situation as red sox. like boston, they lost. ibanez put philly on top in the sixth, winning 4-2. cards with a chance to pull even in the wild card but they couldn't beat the astros. in the tenth, man on third, sanchez lays down the bunt, octavio couldn't make the play. cards remain a game back. ozzie guillen has managed his last game for the white sox. chicago released him from his contract yesterday. he'll likely be the manager of the florida marlins. cowboys/redskins, rex grossman to a wide open tim hightower. dallas turned to an unlikely source for points, dan bailey hit six field goals, 40-yarder gave them the lead. the defense did the rest.

final minute, grossman scrambled and anthony spencer stripped him from behind. the cowboys recovered and without scoring a touchdown, beat the skins 18-16. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. coming up, a talk show host's health scare. peace with charlie sheen. for a price. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus road shows are routine for most marching bands but we'll show you one command performance that was anything but routine. you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today." a few hours with showers. rain up towards seattle. coming in quite and mild in the bay area. billings in the 80s today. the cool down starts to show up tomorrow. wisconsin starting to feel that. 85 in denver for your wednesday. triple digits down towards phoenix. sunshine is the dominant future. an kpiblt featuring different techniques used to capture it's beauty. that is your pacific event of the day. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment talk show host

ellen degeneres had an on the job health scare. paramedics were called to the warner brothers lot for chest pains. she said she was fine and just playing it safe saying who doesn't want to see a fireman occasionally. well, the same studio warner brothers and charlie sheen are now at peace. settling their bitter "two and a half men" legal battle. tmz reports sheen will get $125 million now and $100 million over the next seven years. finally, new jersey governor chris christie blocked a $420,000 state tax credit for mtv's "jersey shore" saying the show, quote, does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the state and its citizens. people are pretty vocal about jersey shore. >> a lot of residents detest the

show. >> more brain candy that probably doesn't mean anything but peek like it. this comes to us from knwa northwest arkansas news in fayetteville where in nearby rodgers one high school marching band played an exclusive performance they'll never forget. marty barrett loves to hear her grandson make music but since she's terminally ill she couldn't leave the house and she thought she would never see anthony play again. he brought the sound of music to grandma's front lawn. she says it will go down as a high note in her life. i'm lynn berry and this "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

it's double the fun at one zoo in spain and that's because twin panda cubs are offering twice the cuteness for visitors. notoriously difficult to mate, these pandas are the first to be successfully born through artificial insemination outside of china. the unusual nature of the pair has attracted nearly a million tourists a year, especially as these two celebrate their first birthday. well, if you think riding a unicycle looks tough then don't try this at home. one-wheeled riding isn't enough for this guy who showed off his skills at a unicycle convention in israel. he rides it over beer bottles and broke his own record in the process. the feat was not without a

couple failed attempts. still, he managed to make it across nearly 30 feet. sleeping under the stars just got a little more luxurious in france. a new hotel there is now offering bubble rooms. the air-filled capsule allows guests to immerse themselves in nature without sacrificing the comforts of a five-star hotel. for about $255 a night, visitors get food, champagne and a front row seat for taking in the stars. that is my kind of camping, todd. >> maybe test out what it's like to live on a space station or -- >> exactly. you know, it's got no support system, though, so you can't bring any sharp objects you may be moving around with. well, it's time for an early look at some stories we're follow throughout the day here on nbc. in los angeles, opening statements in the involuntary

manslaughter trial of michael jackson's doctor are scheduled to begin. a coroner ruled the king of pop's death in 2009 was caused by an overdose of a powerful anesthetic drug which authorities say dr. conrad murray administered. postal workers will be rallied around the country to save america's postal service. the informational rallies are aimed at encouraging congress to pass legislation to address the financial crisis the struggling agency is currently facing. and happy birthday to musician meat loaf who turns 64. 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." finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. a live report on president obama tinseltown fund-raising and calls for new jersey governor chris christie to join the gop race. as part of nbc's education nation initiative, former first lady laura bush talks to ann curry about education reform. 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. just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com