come on back! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ this morning on "early today," done deal. congressional negotiators give final approval to a bipartisan payroll tax cut. no way out. the death toll rises from a horrendous fire tragedy in honduras. and stop the presses. a dramatic attack on a mexican newspaper is captured on video. cacaptions 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 late-night agreement. just hours ago, house and senate negotiators agreed on the final version of a new deal to extend the payroll tax cut to the end of the year. a vote could come as early as friday. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the details. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the finance chairs on both the house and senate side said it looks like they have enough support at least among the negotiating group to get this to a vote. it would involve 160 million working americans holding on to the 2% payroll tax cut this year, but the negotiators haven't been able to figure out how to pay the $100 billion price tag. so they are adding it to the nation's debt. after this month unemployment benefits would also continue but they would be scaled back after may instead of the maximum 99 weeks in states with high unemployment, the most you could get would be 73. that would be paid for by auctioning off mobile spectrum and making new people hired into the federal government pay more into their pensions. finally, medicare, no 27% cut

for doctors as of the end of this month paid for by adjustments in the new health law. it looks like if they are able to get around the three-day rule that requires the law to be written and available to read three days in advance, they might be able to vote on this as of tomorrow. lynn? >> tracie potts for us in washington. thank you. also, today is a busy day on the campaign trail for presidential candidates. republican mitt romney, who grew up in michigan, is expected to be endorsed by its governor, rick snyder, today, two weeks ahead of the state's primary on february 28th. rick santorum will also be in michigan today to speak about the economy after releasing four years of his federal income tax returns. they show a steady rise in his income from nearly $660,000 in 2007 to a peak of more than $1 million in 2009. and yesterday, president obama started a three-day campaign trip to the west coast. he is expected to bring in millions of dollars in donations

to his re-election effort. well, officials in honduras have confirmed at least 358 people have been killed in that prison fire there. it was started on wednesday by an inmate, and hundreds were trapped with no way out as flames swept through the jail. nbc's kerry sanders has our report. [ sirens ] >> reporter: like trapped animals in cages, prisoners had no escape as the fire raced through the overcrowded penitentiary. honduran prison officials and inmates who escaped the inferno say the fire was set by an enraged inmate. a local government official says that prisoner called her from a cell phone just moments before setting the blaze and announced he intended to kill everyone. the comayagua prison was built in the 1940s. each door on the jail cell requires a key. reports are, the guard with those keys could not be found. residents nearby watched helplessly as they listened to the screams of those dying

inside. family members tried to break down the prison gates to reach loved ones, only to find hundreds of prisoners dead. kerry sanders, nbc news. well, iran's top nuclear negotiator has sent a letter to world leaders, claiming the country is ready to resume talks with the u.s. over its nuclear program. but on wednesday, president mahmoud ahmadinejad toured a research reactor in tehran as his country bragged about its latest nuclear achievements. it's a move designed to show iran hasn't been crippled by the recent killings of its scientists. u.s. and intelligence officials say iran is at least a year away from building any kind of weapon. iran is also threatening an oil embargo on european countries in retaliation for sanctions. and now, here's a look at some other stories making news "early today" in america. a pilot's cell phone may have

saved his life after his plane ran out of gas and crashed into the woods in northeastern mississippi. he was pinned upside down inside the wreckage until he was able to find his phone, and he stayed on the line while investigators used cell towers to help track him down. while some parts of the country are still waiting for winter, in minnesota, the ice is thick enough in some spots to check and see if it's safe. the army corps of engineers did its testing of lake pepin, the biggest lake on the mississippi river, to make sure tow boats can get through without becoming trapped in the ice. and from freezing to sizzling, take a look at what researchers are calling the new hottest pepper on the planet. it is the trinidad moruga scorpion, and yes, it has a real bite, with a rating that experts describe as 2 million heat units. that's hot. but they warn, if you sink your

teeth into one, it seems mild at first but then it turns, "nasty." now for a look at your national and regional weather, here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. good morning to you, bill. >> i took a lot of science classes and don't remember anything on heat units for peppers. >> or "nasty." i would describe that as painful, brutal. >> i struggle with jal tee jalapeno peppers on my sandwich. good morning, everyone. the last three days we tracked a system in the pacific northwest that went all the way down through california yesterday. it is still spinning down there along interstate 8 with rain coming up from the south tapping into just a little bit of moisture in the bay of california. and as far as the mountains go, there was a little bit of snow last night, the mountains outside of san diego, but that's tailing off. we'll dry it out in southern california. and the winds are going to pick up over the next couple of days with high pressure building through the rockies to send the santa ana winds into town.

we are watching a storm system up here to the north, so we are done with this storm system. it looks like the one to the northwestern is moving through during the early morning hours and should be clearing out a little bit going throughout the afternoon. the warm front comes onshore now and then the cold front will come onshore later today. you notice a little bit of enhancement of moisture with the uplift here with the mountains so, a little bit of snow up there. this is not a big storm system, it doesn't have a lot of moisture with it, just light rain on and off during the day today. the temperature is not bad in the 40s. not we are clearing it out in southern california, especially the areas with the down-sloping winds and the santa phoenix, a slight chance of a shower today but not much. the forecast for tomorrow looks damp in the midwest.

that's coming up. also a major airline raises prices, good news if you're tired of telemarketers and one brand of candy goes on a diet. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, his moving act of kindness gets one very important parental stamp of approval. coming up, the spurs go for nine in a row and a near career high for the knicks' jeremy lin. 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. the l.a. county coroner has subpoenaed whitney houston's medical and pharmaceutical records. they want to know more about the medications found in her hotel after she died saturday. officials say it's standard procedure. toxicology results are still on the way. the u.s. is setting a new record for interracial marriages.

the pew research center says 1 in 12 marriages are of mixed race, citing an increase of asian and hispanic immigrants. and dramatic video is being released of gang members setting fire to the office of a newspaper in mexico in november. more than a dozen men who smashed computers and terrorized employees are still on the loose. scientists in switzerland say they're developing a vacuum cleaner of sorts for outer space. using a satellite to scoop up rocket debris and other space junk from orbit. now here are your top health headlines on msnbc.com. a government official says a severe shortage of a childhood cancer drug should ease before hospitals run out of it in a couple weeks. the food and drug administration is working with three different companies that make a preservative-free drug used to treat a common form of childhood leukemia, but the companies still need to find a long-term solution to end the problem. for more information on this and other health stories, you can check out the health page at msnbc.com.

>> announcer: "early today health" is brought to you by vagisil. bring yourself back. now here's an early look at how wall street kicks off the day. the dow opens at 12,780 after dipping 97 points yesterday. the s&p lost 7 points. the nasdaq fell 16. taking a look at overseas trading this morning. in tokyo, the nikkei was down 22 points, while in hong kong, the hang seng lost 87. well, investors appear to be on edge this morning over the financial crisis in greece. stocks on wall street were off as european officials said the greek government has more questions to answer, with the eurozone finance ministers meeting scheduled for monday. moody's credit rating agency warns that the european credit crisis may bring down ratings for more than 100 banks and could affect some u.s. financial institutions as well. u.s. homebuilders are more optimistic for the fifth straight month, and the government will report on new construction and permits for

january this morning. foreclosure activity in the u.s. was up 3% in january from december but down 19% from january of last year. american manufacturing output rose in january by 0.7% with a big jump in motor vehicle production. southwest airlines raised fares $10 per round-trip ticket wednesday, and other airlines may follow. groupon says it hopes that by march, it will settle class-action lawsuits that allege the expiration dates on its coupons are improper. general motors is holding down expenses by freezing its pension plan for white-collar workers and giving salaried employees bonuses but not pay raises. the federal communication commission is cracking down on robo calls, forcing telemarketers to get people's consent before making automated phone calls. and finally, mars candy says that by the end of 2013, all its

chocolate bars will be slimmed down to 250 calories or less, and they'll soon have less salt. no more king-sized bars, guys. fortunately, m&m's are already under the limit and won't have to change. ooh, now i don't feel so bad! coming up, the spurs continue their streak, the magic shoot past the sixers and the rockets slip by the thunder. plus, we knew he could score, but now he's shown that he can dish out the assists as well. your early-morning sports headlines are straight ahead. in weather, it's an umbrella day for many of us on the east coast and then a quiet thursday. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, just when you think the lin streak could be over, the knicks' jeremy lin showcases a different part of his newfound game. here's nbc's fred roggin with an "early" look at all your sports headlines. >> good morning. with all eyes on the sensational jeremy lin, and it's easy to overlook that the knicks are doing something they haven't done all year, winning! today when the knicks made it seven in a row, jumped out to an early lead. lin scored just 10 points but dished out a career-high 13 assists. the knicks had everything going for them. they're the hottest team in the league and jeremy lin is the talk of the nation.

they won again, 100-85. nets were hoping to win over some knicks fans this season. perhaps they need to focus on winning games first. against the grizzlies, mike conley off the backboard to rudy gay. he had 25. this pretty much sums it up for new jersey. tony allen picked off the pass and went untouched coast to coast for the bucket. grizzlies won it 105-100. the nets have dropped seven in a row. on the flip side, you've got the spurs, san antonio flying under the radar and they're okay with that. tony parker scored 34 and had 14 assists against the raptors. spurs won their ninth in a row, 113-106. magic and sixers, orlando with the most balanced team of the year. six players scoring in double digits. brian anderson led the way with 27. the magic put a stall on the sixers, 103-87. now to houston, the rockets and thunder down to the wire. kevin durant gave up the lead to oklahoma city, but houston grabbed the lead back with free throws. last chance for the thunder, down one. kevin durant, the game on the line, could not get the layup to fall. durant had 33, but the thunder

needed a couple more. rockets won it 96-95. finally, former maverick corey brewer got his championship ring from owner mark cuban and they showed why they were the defending champs. you know dirk nowitzki will get his, but when lamar odom chips in 14, you have a good thing going. mavs win 96-94. that's sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. which former presidential candidate won't be do the cha-cha on "dancing with the stars"? your early-morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, america's top dog receives the star treatment at a legendary new york restaurant. you're watching "early today."

welcome back onthis thursday morning. we are watching clearing conditions in much of california today. dry weather is on tap. there could be a stray shower around phoenix, but that storm system is weakening pretty rapidly now. up in the northwest we have light rain moving in. the highest elevations, snow. only the highest elevation. after the storm system comes through we'll have instability showers continuing into friday as the front kind of lingers right along the coast. so it looks like the northwest is returning to kind of a dreary and damp weather pattern. if you're watching us on teen 5 news in seattle, washington, it seems weird, definitely. a funky narrative and cooky around the bend and over the edge. that's at the henry art gallery.

that's your cheap shot of the day. >> bill will be here all week. thank you, bill. now a look at the entertainment headlines. fans worldwide will have a chance to bid farewell to whitney houston this weekend. the late singer's publicist has announced saturday's private funeral in newark, new jersey, will be live streamed on the internet. we also learned that according to houston's death certificate, she will be buried in the same new jersey cemetery where her father was laid to rest. former republican presidential candidate michele bachmann says rumors of her appearing on the upcoming season of "dancing with the stars" are false, although she did win a polka competition in the tenth grade. and finally, after justin bieber flew a 6-year-old cancer patient and her family to new york to spend the day with him earlier this week, the girl's mom reportedly described the biebs as "charming." would you expect anything left?

>> his stock is high. he needs to hang out with lindsay a little bit. >> don't say that. he was the one left that's just good. >> enough with the halo. this comes from wnbc 4 in new york, where a legendary broadly eatery welcomed its newest celebrity, maliki. this year's winner at the westminster dog show dined like royalty. the restaurant is known for steak, but malachy went for chicken and rice. the pekingese won best in show and must have given it all he had. while he chowed down for the cameras, reports say the pooch kept falling asleep during his visit. he's had a tough few days. i'm lynn berry. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

forget diamonds. tokyo designers say pearls are a girl's new best friend. weighing in over 13 pounds, this bridal couture has been studded with over 13,000 of them. the dress, which weighs about twice the normal bridal gown, has been valued at almost $450,000. sadly for brides who clearly are not on a budget, the designer says there are no plans to sell the dress. well, they really know how to hug it out in peru. over 10,000 peruvians embraced each other on valentine's day, breaking the guinness world record for the largest group hug. the city is associated with a

violent past, but they say the record attempt was showing that it's now a place of peace and problem-solving now comes from friendship and joy. and finally, they say only the strong survive, but in abu dhabi, only the strong wins. at the annual strongman competition, that is put to the test. contestants show off their skills, tossing heavy objects like massive tires. but maybe the most difficult is pulling a 26-ton truck the longest distance. the musclemen still have five more competitions to go before a winner is chosen. and we do stories like this not infrequently, and every single time i am amazed. every time. >> that one person can pull a jet? >> yes. >> with their teeth? >> yes. their fingernail beds, yes? now time for a look at we'll follow throughout the day on nbc. it is sentencing day for the so-called underwear bomber, who pled guilty to trying to blow up a detroit-bound airliner on

christmas day in 2009. the 25-year-old faces a mandatory life in prison sentence. joe kennedy iii, grandson of the late robert f. kennedy, will announce his bid for the 4th congressional district seat in massachusetts. the seat becomes vacant upon the retirement of congressman barney frank at the end of his term next january. happy birthday to actor and rapper ice-t, who turns 54. all day long, you can stay on top of the latest developments of those stories and others as they break on nbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." and here's a look at what's coming up later on the "today" show. dr. oz will be live in studio with tips on how to eat healthy while saving money. and singer-songwriter jason mraz performs live with songs from his new album "love is a four-letter word." keep it on this station for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry, thank you 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