i promise to try to find it for you right here on "mad money." i will see you tomorrow. this morning on "early today," round two. obama/romney face their toughest inquisitors yet, you, the public. hillary steps up. the secretary of state takes responsibility for the benghazi consulate attack. and 4,000 foot accident. it's called base jumping. what happens next was a miracle. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. i'm lynn berry. well, while the nation is focused on tonight's second presidential debate, secretary of state hillary clinton is now stepping forward volunteering to become the lightning rod for criticism of security concerns ahead of the deadly consulate attack in libya.

last night after arriving in peru clinton pushed back on the idea that president obama and vice president biden ignored warning signs, and clinton rejected any suggestion the white house was shifting blame to the state department. >> i take responsibility. i'm in charge of the state department. 60,000 plus people all over the world, 275 posts. the president and the vice president certainly wouldn't be knowledgeable about specific decisions that are made by security professionals. they're the ones who weigh all of the threats and the risks and the needs and make a considered decision. >> and today "the new york times" is reporting the administration is speeding up efforts to help the libyan government to create an anti-terror commando force, a plan developed before last month's assault. after mitt romney's polished performance in denver, the white house is promising president obama will not hold back during tonight's pressure-packed town hall style debate in new york.

the presidency could be on the line with tightening polls and election day just three weeks away. nbc's tracie potts has that story. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. expect this to be more interactive. both sides say they are ready. team romney. >> a good presence about him. >> reporter: team obama with a cheerleadr in the wings. >> i'm smiling. i'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it. i assume he can. i make sure i'm always giving him that positive love. >> reporter: this second debate is a town hall format with questions from the audience and candidates pushing their own agendas. >> these debates are giving us the ability to cut through the clutter and give people a very clear choice. >> there needs to be a more

compelling economic argument made tomorrow night about why the obama/biden ticket is one that's going to keep the country moving in the right direction. >> reporter: aides say romney will bring up the vague tax map and the 47% dismissed in remarks caught on camera. initially calling the death of four americans there part of a riot, not a terror attack. reuters daily tracking poll still has president obama ahead by two points, essentially a tie. >> reporter: be on the lookout for former secretary of state condoleezza rice, former president clinton, bruce springsteen, all of them ending up in the next couple days in battleground ohio after tonight's debate. >> tracie, thanks. nbc news political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd tells us what the candidates should watch out for with the public

watching the questions. >> reporter: you have to be careful. you know, you can attack a moderator and you win points with the public. you attack a member of the public and you lose points with the public. look, this race is at a nice edge of closeness. you no longer describe this race as close but the president has structural advantages. there are no more buts. it is that close. now the opportunity and pitfalls for both of them have to do with this format. mitt romney's biggest hurdle to the presidency is this issue of relating to the average joe or jane. well, joe and jane is asking questions tomorrow night. he pulls that off, he breaks through this one big barrier and the structural shift in the race that we're seeing state by state could continue and give him great advantages. for the president, of course, he's got to repaint mitt romney as that caricature as being out of touch rich guy. we'll see if he can pull that off. >> nbc's chuck todd reporting. and be sure to watch our live coverage of tonight's debate. it gets underway at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 pacific time right here on this nbc station. well, new this morning, major reform coming from cuba. the government is easing travel

restrictions starting january 13th. cuban also no longer be forced to acquire and present a complicated exit visa. a simple passport and a visa from the country to which they are traveling is all they'll need. well, the u.s. supreme court has agreed to decide whether the state of arizona can demand proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. the law is not in effect this november, and the high court will hear the case early next year and is expected to render a decision by june. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. we are going to begin with a vicious beating caught on camera. new york police officers battered a homeless man for several minutes after he refused to leave a synagogue outreach center. community leaders and legislators are outraged because the man had permission to be there. well, police officials issued a statement saying force was only used after a man refused to leave a woman's section of the facility.

the spotlight on a prostitution case in maine just got a little bit bigger. police have now released the names of 21 people allegedly connected to a brothel run out of a zumba studio. more than 100 men are believed to be on the exercise instructor's client list. alexis wright is charged with over 100 counts of prostitution and other charges. well, a couple of tennessee scuba divers scared up some halloween spirit. they did their best to carve up jack-o-lanterns under water. the event is part of the aquarium's month-long halloween celebration. and finally, the iconic sign overlooking los angeles is getting a facelift. over the next eight to ten weeks crews are going to be using 110 gallons of primer and 275 gallons of paint to give the hollywood sign a makeover. last paint job was completed in 2005. i think i said years.

i meant weeks. it may look like it takes years, but it actually will take weeks. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. >> they have to use little, tiny paint brushes. like the golden gate bridge, they're always painting it. by the time you finish at one end, you have to go back to the other. good morning. hurricane heading for the baja of california down in mexico. at one point this was looking very impressive on satellite imagery. there was a well-defined eye. hurricane paul scared people down here preparing for the hurricane. thankfully it's beginning to weaken. it still looks like it will make landfall over the next six to ten hours. there should be some damage from this as we go throughout the day today. it looks like the resort areas to the south here will not see the brunt of it, we'll keep an eye on it. otherwise, we had the big storm go through yesterday. in the northwest all the rain has spread all the way into the northern rockies.

the gold front is beginning to move on through. behind it, typical instability showers. may be ducking inside ducking showers. with the area of high pressure situated over nevada, the winds are fast going through the rockies. high wind warnings in effect for some areas of montana that will spread out into the plains. very windy, wet and stormy in the northern portions of the rockies. you can see one area of enhanced rain north of seattle towards bell ling ham. you will drive into that. south of i-5, hit-and-miss showers mostly in the higher elevations, areas like portland. we kept showers in the forecast, all areas of the northern rockies and northwest, another very warm day in southern california, near 90 once again. that's a look at for

you. off-shore wind means warm temperatures, 82 degrees. maybe the people in san diego can enjoy the sunshine and forget about the football game you'll tell us about later in the show. >> bill, thanks so much. if you have a pet, we have a food recall to tell you about. and the shocking appearance of the 9/11 mastermind khalid sheikh mohammed. >> peyton manning's heerk lean comeback ties dan marino for most fourth quarter come backs. it was unbelievable. you're watching "early today."

here are some of the stories making news this morning. khalid sheikh mohammed showed up to court in guantanamo bay with his beard died a bright reddish orange color. the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind and four defendants were much more subdued than during their outbursts back in may. trial is set at least a year off. the 14-year-old pakistani girl shot in the head by the taliban is now safe inside a british hospital known for its

trauma work with wounded troops. she is said to have hopes for a good recovery. george mcgovern, the one-time democratic presidential candidate, has been placed in hospice care. he's 90 years old and his daughter says he is nearing the end of his life. mcgovern lost the 1972 race to richard nixon. the families of those killed in the colorado theater shooting massacre will receive about 70% of the money from a $5 million donation fund. the rest of the money will go to those injured if they were hospitalized overnight. hey, look out. the sun is out. all four of them. amateur astronomers using data from a nasa telescope have stumbled on to a distant planet about the size of neptune that orbits around a pair of stars and even crazier, another pair of stars revolves around the planet. and incredible video out of norway. watch this, the bar holding a base jumper gives way and it flings the man over the side of

a 4,000 foot cliff. well, if you can believe it, he was able to open his parachute and he survived. one of the top health stories on nbcnews.com, the government is investigating two more drugs made by that massachusetts pharmacy at the heart of the meningitis outbreak that has killed 15 and sickened hundreds more. the fda is looking into three new cases, one a possible case of meningitis that may be tied to a second steroid used for spinal injections. the other two cases are rare fungal infections that may be tied to a solution used in heart surgeries. >> announcer: early today health is brought to you by vagisil ph balance wash. here's a look at how wall street begins the day. the dow closed at 13,424 after rising 95 points yesterday. the s&p was up 11, the nasdaq gained 20. overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei jumped 123 points while in hong

kong the hang seng added 58. news that americans shopped and spent more last month sent retail stocks on a tear monday. revised august figures in a 1.1% rise in september marked the largest gains in two years, which adds up to good news for our consumer driven economy. citigroup delivered strong earnings driving bank stocks higher. the aclu is suing morgan stanley claiming it targeted african-americans for expensive and risky mortgage loans. luxury retailer nordstrom has stepped up its support of gay and lesbian employees by endorsing same-sex marriage. nature's recipe dog biscuits made with real chicken are being recalled because for possible salmonella contamination. southwest florida businesses say seasonal residents are arriving a few weeks early giving business an early boost. the area's population grows by about 1/3 every winter. the national shoe retailer's association says the average woman's shoe has shot up more than one whole size over the

past 30 years. and we told you before about pizza hut's offer of a lifetime of free pie or $15,000 to anyone willing to ask the candidates if they prefer sausage or pepperoni at tonight's town hall style debate. well, the company decided the idea was half baked and they have moved the promotion online. good call. well, coming up, a colossal comeback, and your chance to own a piece of college basketball history. plus, it's a hit for a hit in san francisco. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. it's a dry forecast across the country, but it's going to be very windy in a few spots. i'll tell you where coming up. you're watching "early today."

in sports, first to san diego for some monday night football. denver seemed finished heading into the second half with the chargers up 24-0, but peyton manning threw three touchdown passes and tony carter and chris harris scored off turnovers by philip rivers. the broncos came back to win it with 35 unanswered points. baltimore ravens veteran pro bowl linebacker ray lewis will miss the remainder of the season because of a torn triceps in his right arm. to baseball now where the giants beat the cardinals 7-1 last night knotting the series a

game apiece. giants second baseman marco scutaro took a big hit on a late slide into second by matt holliday but answered with a hit of his own. scutaro slugged a two-run single in a four-run fourth inning for the giants. well, tonight the yankees down two games to none will face detroit ace justin verlander in game three of the alcs. and finally, get this. coaching great bobby knight is selling all three of his national championship rings from his time with the indiana hoosiers as well as his gold medal from the 1984 olympics and various trophies, jackets, and other memorabilia. and it's reportedly not because of financial issues, rather, knight wants to clear some clutter. good clutter to have. just ahead, big announcements from the rolling stones and the golden globes, and president obama weighs in on that "american idol" feud. plus an inspiring san diego teen gets the royal treatment at his high school. you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today." a wet and windy day through idaho, boise. chance of showers and 66. not a lot of cold air behind this storm. that's good at least. seattle definitely one of the more cooler spots at 55. we continue the summer-like trend from vegas to phoenix, san diego to l.a. there is an end in sight as we get to friday and saturday. temperatures will drop even for

los angeles. it looks like, lynn, summer in some spots and rain and win any the west. now for entertainment news and word is out ricky gervais is out and tina fey and amy poehler are in. the pals and former snl cast mates will host the 70th annual golden globe awards on january 13th right here on nbc. fey has won two golden globes for "30 rock" while poehler received a nomination last year for "parks and recreation." the rolling stones are hitting the road in honor of their 50th anniversary. on youtube they announced two november shows in london and two december shows in newark. new jersey. and finally, during a radio interview president obama said he's confident feuding "american idol" judges mariah carey and nicki minaj will sort things out. when asked to pick a favorite, the president chose carey because she's done events for him but he was quick to point out that he has minaj's music on

his ipod. >> i think nicki is going to cut him off now. >> you don't get involved in stuff like that. this comes from nbc 7 san diego in california where students at one high school showed their classmate how popular is in on campus. ivan mendoza who has down's syndrome won in a landslide. ivan's coronation began at friday's pep rally and ended with him dressing the the nines there for saturday's school dance. looking great. i'm lynn berry, this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

well, in france, one confectioner wants to know what your sweet tooth thinks about the election. they have designed a box of chocolate medallions featuring the faces of the candidates. each time a customer buys a box they can vote online for their favorite. well, so far president obama leads mitt romney 72 to 4%, but minor detail, only about 22 votes have been cast so it's very unscientific. pumpkin regatta took place in canada and, yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. from afar they look like regular kayakers, but let's get a little bit closer. competitors are actually paddling in giant pumpkins. >> pretty cool. >> yeah. and while pumpkins aren't known for their buoyancy, they ended up making pretty decent pvcs. you know what that is bill? that's a personal vegetable craft. >> nice. >> all for a good cause. they were raising money for charity. >> didn't know there was that many big pumpkins. >> i know.

and at one soapbox race in hong kong creativity outweighed construction. they were maybe a little too focused on unique designs like a meat drenched ride appropriately crafted by a butcher. the cars had a tough time staying on the racetrack. yeah. slick roads and numerous obstacles made for quite a few crashes along the course. unsurprisingly most contestants did confirm they spent more time decorating than making sure their cars went straight, but they looked good doing it. it's like girls that wear high heels that are too high. >> they seemed appropriately sponsored by red bull. they seem to sponsor everything that has danger involved. >> a couple too many of them. too much sugar. well, time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. ambassador chris stevens will be remembered at a public memorial today in san francisco. stevens was among those killed in the attack on the american consulate in benghazi, libya. and if you're headed off to work maybe give your employer an extra special smile when you arrive. today is national boss's day. and it's that time again.

the winter season officially kicks off here at 30 rock with the opening of the rockefeller center ice rink. 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. ryan seacrest goes one on one with first lady michelle obama about the debates and how much the president looks to her for encouragement. >> does he look at you for encouragement? >> with the lights, you just never can tell. does he know exactly where i'm sitting? can he see me? so i just prepare myself. i assume that he can so i make sure that i'm always giving him that positive love. and that is ahead this morning on "today." 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. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com