and today we begin with a taxing situation. presumptive republican presidential candidate mitt romney has been under increasing pressure from the obama campaign to release additional years of tax returns. now romney is even dismissing calls from within his own party. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. tracie, good morning to you. >> hi, lynn. you're right, there's growing pressure even from prominent republicans. mississippi governor hali barber, alley bama's governor both calling on him to release more tax returns. and they are not alone. texas governor john perry is asking him to. texas governor rick perry, a former republican rival says that romney should be as open as possible. meantime on the other side we've got republicans criticizing the obama campaign for what they're saying about mitt romney. john mccain calls the campaign disgraceful for targeting those tax returns and romney's time with bain. he calls it chicago-style sleazy campaigning and saying the focus

should be on the $5 trillion he says president obama has added to the deficit. meantime former new hampshire governor john sununu says that he shouldn't have said that president obama needs to learn to be an american. he is a romney supporter. what he really meant is he needs to learn the american formula for business. lynn? >> all right, tracie, thanks so much. to utah where a southwest sky west airlines pilot wanted in connection with a colorado murder attempted to steal an empty plane from a small airport. the man then killed himself after he couldn't get the plane off the ground. nbc's kurt gregory has the details. >> reporter: a skywest pilot's plans to steal a plane tuesday at the st. george municipal airport were thwarted. 40-year-old brian joseph hedglin had parked his motorcycle, jumped a fence to the airport, gained access to a skywest jet and started its engines.

according to officials he backed the plane up, then moved it forward clipping the terminal. he was not able to get the plane airborne and instead crashed into several empty cars in the parking lot. a police officer patrolling the area noticed a motorcycle with its engine still warm and shortly thereafter discovered the plane. >> he immediately notified skywest that they had a plane in the parking lot with the engines running. they had a person here who was able to come out and shut down the plane. >> reporter: officers arrived on the scene, entered the plane, and found hedglin dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. officials in st. george later confirmed that the motorcycle about belong to heglin and he was wanted in colorado springs in connection with the death of his girlfriend. >> we took every precaution we felt we needed to take based on believing that he was the suspect. >> reporter: hedglin had been on the run for the last several days. it's not clear why he ended up in utah, but officials are still investigating. kurt gregory, nbc news.

well, elsewhere, a suspect is in custody in alabama after a shooting spree in a crowded bar that injured 17 people. the bullets flew at the coppertop bar in tuscaloosa yesterday, sending glass flying and patrons running for cover. five of the victims are still hospitalized and 12 were treated and released. the alleged gunman nathan van wilkins seen on surveillance video with an assault rifle entered the bar near university of alabama. he surrendered to police about ten hours after the shooting. he's also suspected of being involved yesterday in another shooting in an arson case in a city about 17 miles east of tuscaloosa. well, now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in new york, a car plummeted down a five-story elevator shaft. it happened at a parking garage where an attendant drove the vehicle into the elevator thinking the lift was there waiting for him.

well, it wasn't. the car fell some 40 feet, trapping the driver and the co-worker who were pinned inside the wreckage and had to be freed by firefighters. south carolina is all too familiar with the destruction of hurricanes, and the test that you can see here was done to show what could happen if the buildings aren't reinforced against heavy winds. a group that works with insurance companies put the building through 130-mile-an-hour gusts. in california a man was arrested for building a secret house. look closely there. the problem is he did it in a county park and tried to hide it with camouflage. but sheriff's deputies say they were impressed with how much work he put into the small cabin, installing bunk beds and medicine cabinets and bookshelves. but they weren't so thrilled with the large marijuana plants they say he was raising right there on the property. not a good idea. and, finally, in indiana, the grass is always greener, especially when you take a

shortcut. one man painted his lawn green after he says he got so tired of seeing all the yards in his neighborhood looking brown from this summer's drought. that's one way to go. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. he has your weather channel forecast. good morning to you. >> it's sad that that's what it's come to. >> it's a good neighbor though. at least one house looks niek. >> funny thing is, have you ever been to tucson, arizona. they don't have grass like they do in phoenix. it's mostly rock gardens. >> you paint that green to look like a yard. that would work too. >> look funny there in the desert. good morning, everyone. yesterday's high temperatures across the country, triple digits as advertised. 100 in kansas city. st. louis was 103. detroit hit 100. even syracuse along with washington, d.c. everywhere on this map you can see how hot it was. the west, sporadic heat. areas around boise, almost at

100. 99 yesterday. another warm day in salt lake city. the deserts weren't that bad. upper 90s, low 100s. cooler spot up there in seattle and san francisco has been pretty cool lately with your onshore flow. upper level low continues to spin with coastal areas of oregon and northern california. nothing to talk about today. very weak front trying to push into the northwest. that's about it. the light showers that went through trying to push through salem. maybe a shower or storm around medford but we're not going to see a lot of wet sacramento today. that's a pretty nice day. northwest continues to be the one spot in the country that is dealing with a very cool summer. >> just one. bill, thanks so much.

coming up, big ben boosts stocks, barbie boosts business, and a divorced mother of two tries to boost her chances of selling her house. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, this brand is apparently back on the market. coming up, the return of an ace, revenge at fenway, and a mascot hits the skids. you're watching "early today." >> announcer: "early today" is brought to you by caltrate.

good morning and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry, and here are some of your top headlines this morning. syria's defense minister has been killed in a suicide blast in da mass ka. the state-run television reuters is reporting the brother-in-law of bashar al assad was also killed. the attack at the national security building wounded several senior officials.

an estimated 6 to $8 billion has been baswastbasewasteed. bad recordkeeping by the pentagon and other agencies of the u.s. government. the boy scouts of america is reaffirming its policy of banning gays after a two-year review. the group's controversial exclusion of gays was strongly criticized by gay rights activists. the food & drug administration has approved a new weight loss drug. the fda cleared kusinia for people who have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol. an iceberg has separated from a glacier in green land reportedly due to warmer ocean temperatures. the 48 square mile chunk of ice is the second major piece of a glacier to split off in the past three years.

well, now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,805 after rising 78 points yesterday. the s&p gained 10. the nasdaq added 13. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo the nikkei was down 28 points, while in hong kong the hang seng tumbled 215. well, stocks rose tuesday after fed chair ben bernanke told congress the central bank would consider ways to stimulate growth if the economy further weakens. bernanke's lack of specifics before the senate committee drove stocks lower in early trade. he did think it clear the economy's suffering, but just the fact the fed chief policy maker said he would consider a variety of tools to consider stimulus growth led to optimism it would happen sooner rather than later. also helping stocks, the dreaded fall of quarterly earnings has not materialized despite it falling 12%. goldman sachs still imagined to beat forecasts. coca-cola also beat expectations rising over 1.5%. though earnings season so far,

% of companies have beaten estimates. fertilizer company mosaic also beat the street and rose over 5%. despite johnson & johnson cuts its full year forecast, it climbed to its highest level in more than three years. mattel jumping thanks to better barbie sales. not all news is good. excitement over yahoo!'s new ceo initially drove shares higher but by day's end yahoo! slipped lower. watch intel today. the chip maker reduced its growth forecast after the bell. and, finally, a recently divorced oregon woman with two children is using unusual marketing to sell her home. a "for sale" sign in her front yard reads, husband left us for a 22-year-old. house for sale by scorned, slightly bitter, newly single owner. as for buyers, she only has one criteria. the sign also reads, no

adulterers need not apply. well, coming up the white sox strike back, an injured hurler makes a full recovery, and why mascots should stick to cheering. plus, one oriole crashes and tumbles in a good way. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. and the great lakes and the northeast get some relief from this heat wave, but at the expense of very strong thunderstorms. 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 they often say in baseball it comes down to one pitch, and last night it did between the new york mets and the washington nationals. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> good morning. you know, they say good teams find a way to win, and that's exactly what the nationals did last night, taking on the mets in washington. after they forced the ninth, new york took the lead in the tenth. josh thole with an rbi and the mets were up, 4-3. bottom of the inning, one aboard for bryce harper and he delivered a triple over the head of scott hairston. two down and the sax fall, pedro

was brought in to end the inning. he did this. a wild pitch. in came the winning run. the nats rallied twice to beat the mets 5-4. boston, david ortiz wearing a boot on his right foot. he's out a week with a strained achilles. nothing wrong with kevin youkilis. he hit a ton of home runs as a roikts. here's his first as a member of the white sox. three-run shot in the monster seats. chicago won it 7-5. jose bautista injured on monday. placed on the 15 d.l. c.c. sabathia made his return from the d.l. and was lights' out. struck out the first three hitters he faced. andrew jones provided all the offense c.c. needed. a three-run homer in the second. the yanks get back their ace and win it easily 6-1. a break to show you from the twins/orioles game. foul ball. baltimore's mark reynolds tracked it down, made the grab, hit the wall and went head over heels. he put his body on the line and

tumbled over the line. all for not. riptide wiped out. lost control of his atv and there he goes. hit the dirt, slammed into the wall. that didn't stop old riptide. popped right back up, hopped back on that four wheeler. the life of a minor league mascot isn't glamorous but it's always funny. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. hugs and wishes, she hadn't gone there. jackie chen takes it all back. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, for centuries horses have inspired artists, but today in indiana art is inspiring one horse. you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today" on wednesday morning. 20% of a chance of showers down near los angeles. that's why we have a chance of a thunderstorm there. otherwise, the best chance for showers will be up there in oregon near the upper level low later today. as we look at tomorrow's forecast, looks pretty similar. temperatures do begin to warm up a little bit from salt lake city. if you're watching us in california, see art that escaped the landfill at the huntington beach art center.

that's your pacific event of the day. >> bill, thanks so much. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. russell brand is apparently following the lead of his ex, katy perry and he's dating again. new york's daily news says he's selling talent agent isabel isabellisabella isabella brewster. yes, tom cruise arrived in new york to visit suri. but today's tom and katy split is about kate hudson. did you see that wild crowd waiting for them outside? tmz reports she unwittingly walked by the hotel that cruise was staying in and was suddenly swamped by paparazzi. waiting around. visiting tom cruise, that sounds like a story. speaking of paparazzi, tmz also reported authorities recommend the ring leader who chased justin bieber down the l.a. freeway be the first person prosecuted to keep the paparazzi from endangering people. >> he needs a driver, by the

way. >> no kidding. 100 miles an our. bob dylan will mark 50 years as a recording artist by releasing his 35th studio album "tempest" in september. can you believe that? and, finally, chill out jackie chen fans. despite recently saying he was going to quit action films to become, quote, the asian robert dinero, he has already had a change of heart. and this comes to us from columbus, indiana, where one artist is chomping at the bit to show of his talents. the horse, justin, now a painter using his mouth to guide the brush. his owner says he was going to be a show jumper. he clearly didn't clear that hurdle, but then showed a creative side by using the owner's whip to draw shapes in the sand. his collections also include shores shoe prints. it's not just horseplay. justin's work goes for hundreds of dollars. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station.

an unlikely bond has been formed in the nor weej gab began wilderness. they came across an orphaned moose three years ago and the two have become fast friends. just two days old when she was found. her mother was scared off by a dog. well now not only did the moose find a friend, but a home where the zoo keeper now takes care of her new kcalf as well. when whale watching isn't enough, head to canada. that's where one tour company is giving customers a different view of the massive animals. guests can actually jump into the ocean with their wet suits, goggles and snorkels with an up

close and personal session with the massive beasts. also very playful, the whales are not fed or called, and that makes the experience as authentic as possible and probably terrifying. and, finally, at one event in england, childhood dinner table antics could actually pay off at the 40th world annual pea-shooting championship. they shoot a at a target 12 feet away. accuracy is rewarded because points are given depending on where the peas stick. some challenges use laser guidants to gain some edge. now, i'm going to go out on a limb here and say you are so that kid. >> the mashed potato nights were fun, but i've never done the pea shooting. >> no? no, you didn't like the spit balls? >> that's an older story. >> you do it now from across the desk, so i would assume so. time now for some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day on nbc. the republican house committee would vote on the bill to ban abortions in the district of columbia 20 weeks into pregnancy.

d.c. officials see the proposed law as an intrusion into their right to govern the roughly 600,000 residents who do not have a voice in congress. national hockey league officials and the players' associations are set to resume labor talks in new york city. nhl owners are seeking to reduce the players' split of revenue. their current collective bargaining agreement expires september 15th. and former south african president nelson mandela turns 94 years old. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and more 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, a teacher charged with sexually abusing an underage student speaks out for the first time. and olympic swimmer, natalie coughlin, opens up about her chances of winning her 12th medal in london. 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. the day, today on your nbc station. have a good one.

good morning. i'm bob redell. we'll take you live to san francisco with why this morning's uc board of regents meeting is generating so much interest among the undead. that story, coming up. i could hear the crackling of the trees, and i still hear it in my mind. when it hit -- >> five years later, the survivor of a deadly helicopter crash over hawaii shares her story. it's an interview you'll see only on nbc bay area. also, teachers getting paid more for teaching certain subjects. it's all part of a program introduced by president obama. what bay area teachers think about all of