budget cuts kick in at the enof today if the compromise is not reached. # a meeting at the white house between president obama and congressional leaders. it might be too little too late. lawmakers have not acted and it prompted a rare public outcry in the senate. take a listen. >> rise up, oh, god, and save us from ourselves. pour your wisdom upon our lawmakers so that they will do your will. >> nbc's tracie potts joins us now from washington. hoping that some divine power might help them right now. good morning to you, any sign of a deal here? >> no signs of divine power when it comes to this or a deal. the white house saying the main point of this meeting is to try to come up with some way to avoid these cuts, but the big question this morning, even if they do, is it something they can get done before the midnight deadline? >> we're not going to walk away from the only chance of getting

spending under control around here. >> reporter: but they did literally. the house is gone this morning. that means virtually zero chance of any last-minute deal to avoid these cuts. >> i'll be here. >> reporter: leaders meet with president obama this morning. >> my message at the white house will be the same as what i'm telling you today. it's time for them to do their job and pass a bill. >> there are no preconditions to a meeting like this. any topic is up for discussion. >> reporter: not just today's cuts but also government funding that runs out later this month. >> get it all done at once. it would be so easy to do. >> reporter: the cuts aren't official but we're seeing the impact. the ""uss truman"" in norfolk is on standby. arlington cemetery expected to cut 160 funerals a month. iowa families may lose their chance to get public housing. >> it will affect about 200 families that we may have to take off the roll. >> reporter: plus furloughs and layoffs. >> i've got two kids at home,

you've got my wife working. >> i have tuition, i have a daughter in college, this is her last year. >> reporter: more than half the nation's government workers bracing for unpaid days off. >> we will survive. we'll do okay, but i think that this is a hell of a way to run a railro railroad. >> reporter: the imf, the international monetary fund, now saying, richard, they may take another look at their growth forecast for the u.s. in its next year and cut off about half a percent. >> could be a long night for tracie potts on sequester watch in washington thank you. the army soldier charged in the largest leak of of classified material in u.s. history has pleaded guilty to ten charges against him. private bradley manning admitted in open court thursday to providing military files in julian assange's whistle blowing site wikileaks. it was all in an effort to try to expose what he called blood lust. and disregard for human life in iraq and afghanistan. this admission could send the 25-year-old to prison for 20

years. manning will still stand trial for more serious charges of aiding the enemy and violating multiple federal statutes including the espionage act. prosecutors will also argue that osama bin laden had some of the leaked material at his abbottbad compound. 1.2 billion roman catholics may have no pope today. after eight years, benedict xvi stepped down thursday with tearful farewells. and a flying off into the sunset to the pay pal retreat south of rome. the 85-year-old pope emeritus is beginning the final stage of his life as simply a pilgrim. last night his apartment in the vatican palace was sealed and will not be reopened until a new pope is elected. monday, more than 100 cardinals will gather to plan that election. a new law is in effect in arkansas banning most abortions starting in the 20th week of pregnancy. governor mike bebe's veto of the law was overridden by the state

senate as the house did on wednesday. they approved a more restrictor bill that would ban abortions even earlier, after 12 weeks of pregnancy. the governor declined to say whether he would veto the 12-week ban and he has until next week to decide. twin nasa space probes made a surprising discovery circling earth. a new radiation belt joined two known belts seen here in yellow. the giant amounts of radiation that these belts generate can pose serious risks for satellites. nasa scientists say the new ring which lasted for more than four weeks may have been caused by a giant solar eruption last august. now for a look at the weather, here's dillon drier. we're talking about a fire, a forest fire, in southern california. it's march 1st. >> i know. it's very unusual time of year to be getting these out-of-control fires for sure. it's the wet season, but it hasn't been all that wet. there you see that fire in riverside county, california, way down south, where it is very warm. now last night they were able to get it about 20% contained

because winds eased for a time and temperatures cooled off a bit. today is going to be interesting to see how the firefighters will handle this storm, considering it is going to be another day with highs well into the 80s. so 200 firefighters on that blaze right now. we do have this very strong storm moving into the pacific northwest. that's where all the rain is. you can see the rain is coming down at a pretty good rate across northwestern portions of especially washington state. but it extends down into northwestern california as well. temperatures will be on the warm side. 85 degrees in l.a. today and that goes for most of southern california with 60s up and down the rest of the west coast. looking ahead into the extended forecast, it stays warm through saturday in l.a., but then it will cool back into the 60s by early next week. that's a look at weather that

which with partly cloudy skies later on this afternoon. certainly could use some rain in southern california. we won't get that, but at least temperatures will cool off a bit. >> drought concerns at all in parts of california? >> you know, it's a concern. it's not officially considered a drought yet, but they really haven't had much rain out that way. >> so surprising in march. thank you for that. a doggy whodunnit. one of the westminster's finest is found dead days after the dog show. was it a case of the poisoned pooch? plus how a helicopter used its downward wind thrust to save a deer. who is the latest ranked to lose to the unranked in sports. "early today" is back in two. newwishg, newkirk, today."

here's some stories making news this morning. the house has voted to reauthorize the violence against women act. it passed by 286 to 138 with 199 democrats joined 87 republicans

in the gop controlled chamber. the bill had run into some republican opposition for inclusion of lesbians and native-americans. a 26-year-old man is under arrest in connection with last week's deadly maserati shooting on the las vegas strip. amar harris was tracked down by a team of police and federal agents thursday in los angeles after a week-long manhunt. the faa is investigating an incident after this video was posted from aboard a frontier airlines flight. it shows colorado college students performing the harlem shake some 30,000 feet in the air. notice the banana by the way. the airline insists that all safety measures were followed. meanwhile, a dog owner is looking into the death of a prized pooch days after it was in the westminster dog show. lynette blue said her 3-year-old samoyed may have been poisoned while competing. this deer in canada became stranded on a frozen lake and struggled for hours to gain footing on the ice. it was too thin for rescuers to take it on.

so helicopter pilots used the downdraft from their blades to blow the deer to safety little by little. in health news, easter candy alert, the zachary confection s company recalling certain of its chocolate eggs because they may be contaminated with salmonella. the company says a test of a batch detected salmonella, but that so far no illnesses have been reported. the treats come in white egg crates and have a use by date of february 14th, 2014. # >> announcer: "early today" health is brought to you by vagisil ph balanced wash. the dow is just 16 points from its all-time high. watching the dow today and business, february car sales on deck today. numbers are expected to be off from january. on the earnings front, best buy up before the bell. investors are eager to hear if reports to take the company

private is not happening. groupon's earnings landed with a thud and they fired their ceo andrew mason. and word on the streets is, jcpenney chief ron johnson has about six months to turn things around before calls roll in for his resignation. boeing is reportedly about to cut hundreds of workers at a south carolina dreamliner factory. chrysler, pouring $400 million into factory in indiana, creating more than 1200 jobs. the irs says the sequester means furloughs of five to seven days for its employees, but not until after the tax season. the switch to reusable grocery bags may be helping the environment but more than 20% of seattle store owners say a recent ban on plastic bags has led to an uptick in shoplifting. shopping for a home, how about bob hope's stunning 22,000 square foot steel and glass spread in palm springs? the pool, pond and all, 12 baths, can be yours for just $50

million. for the fourth straight year, hawaii residents have the highest well being in the u.s. while west virginians have the lowest. colorado came in number two. it's hawaii. one enterprising young mother-to-be is outsourcing one of the biggest decisions of her life. her baby's name. natasha hill won a contest online and now that she's being paid $5,000 to let complete strangers name her child. still ahead, dealing with a death spot, dennis rodman and north korea's leader talk life-long relationship. a wickedly dangerous situation when a semi goes too fast on slick roads. you're watching "early today."

now to some stories that caught our eye this morning. amazing video from iowa where a fast-moving truck slid on ice and burst into flames on a highway overpass before hurdling over the edge. the driver was able to jump out of the rig before it fell but didn't escape a ticket for losing control of the vehicle and creating a big mess. in oregon, this one bad luck butt dialing. a suspected drug dealer accidentally dialed 911 while negotiating payment for the illegal contraband. dispatchers used gps to locate the signal and send officers to catch the drug dealer redhanded. a woman in tennessee got more than relief. in need of a rest room she stopped into a local restaurant on her way home. no fuss at the door but days

later she received a handwritten bill charging her $5 for use of the facility. # now to florida a manatee on the edge caused a bit of commotion. handlers tried to calm the creature before he splashed in in the tank. he's doing better adjusting to his new roommates in the watery home. now to sports, another college ball upset. joe harris of unranked virginia had a big night with 36 points to knock off number 3 duke. the 73-68 victory should improve the cavaliers chances of a spot in the ncaa tournament. next for the pacers and warriors are a fight resulted in two suspensions and fines, including $35,000 for clay thompson. his paychecks go to his parentses and now his father says, he's also going to reduce his son's allowance of $300 a week. an all-time odd couple. kim jong-un and former nba bad boy dennis rodman watching a basketball game together in pyongyang. rodman quoted as telling the

leader of north korea, quote, you have a friend for life. at the pga honda classic in florida, tiger woods had one that landed in a water hazard. so he took off his shoes and socks and got wet to hit it out and save his par. finishing his day 6 back of the leader. the latest version of the internet dance craze. is the miami heat. they were trying to have fun with what it might be called not the harlem shake, maybe we should call this the south beach shake or something like that. you're watching "early today."

good morning and welcome back. temperatures look mild on the west coast for today. we're in the 40s and 50s. l.a. is at about 52 degrees with a huge warmup later on this afternoon. it should once again top out in the 80s. wet in seattle today, an inch or two is possible extreme northwestern washington state and then as we go into tomorrow we should get a break from the heaviest rain inland but it will be falling along the coast, the big storm system making its way on shore. san francisco, 61 degrees tomorrow and looking at 80 degrees as we kick off the weekend in southern california. it will cool down early next week. >> for the folks in the northwest, they may want to watch movies. we have suggestions for them right now. the box office poised for a giant disappointment this weekend. "jack the giant slayer" hits theaters today and while it's projected to make $30 million, the film's $200 million is not doing it any favors. another movie comedy "21 and

over" aimed at the 21 and under crowd, hoping to cash in on the same group as last year's "project x." and "the last exorcism" turns out to not be the last one this weekend as well. harry potter star daniel radcliffe trading in his wand for a humpback in the latest remake. while his potter costar emma watson going the glamorous route as she puts on the glass slipper for "cinderella" due out in 2014. billy bush caught up with jennifer lawrence where she admitted to getting some help, shall we say, in her christian dior ads. take a listen. >> oh, my god. i haven't seen these. >> you haven't? >> no, i haven't. that doesn't look like me at all. >> isn't that fun? >> i love photo shop more than anything in the world. >> i don't think that's photo shopped. that's you. >> people don't look like that. >> but she might. >> she could pull it off without photo shopping, i think. >> she does not need it.

there are other folks that do need it. >> and they get it too. >> very, very humble. this one coming to us from wthr 13 in indianapolis, indiana. a nearby henryville, one school is celebrating a year of recovery. in march 2012 tornadoes tore through the town destroying a high school of students hunkered down inside. nearly a year later, the same students now walk the halls with a newly renovated school. they say it's amazing to get back to normal since the school is like their home. looks great now though, doesn't it. >> i'm sure they appreciate everything about the school so much more. >> school is seen as a home. i always remember my schools. >> you were there so much. >> we were. aemds rich lui, this is "early today," your first stop of the day, today, on your nbc station.

from three letter words to one too many popes, veronica cruz has a breakdown on what the week that was. >> reporter: the red carpet was white hot at the oscars this year with mostly fashion hits, a few misses and one very big stumble. the first lady was there, too, bearing her signature sculpted arms, but iranian press felt the need to cover them up. in d.c., things got testy over a sequester deal that no one wants. >> we should not have to move a third bill before the senate gets off their -- and begins to do something. >> the use of the word. >> reporter: congress did get

things done ending with a season of purgatory with jack lew and chuck hagel. meanwhile, the winds of change blew a texas-sized nightmare into this house. covering it from top to bottom, in tumbleweeds. over in kansas, a midwest whiteout. other cringe worthy moments, the sixth annual sword swallowing day. >> and easier to stomach, a few laughs over one company's miss fortunes. >> the university of phoenix could lose its license because of questionable billing policies. >> which makes sense when you find out they got their degree from the university of phoenix. >> one billionaire is building titanic 2. he says this won't sink. he has bigger plans and send one lucky couple on a round to mars. pope benedict xvi said a public farewell, private farewell and almost final so long before heading off into retirement. but wait. there's going to be two popes? >> it's going to be chaos. you can't have one vatican with

two popes. it's like gotham with multiple batmans. you shine the bat signal all these clowns show up. >> so you think he will be forgotten by monday? >> you would like to think he wouldn't be, but, you know, people forget a lot over the weekend. >> yeah. that's when they get together. all right. all day long stay on top of the very latest developments, those stories and others as they break on msnbc and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with ""nbc nightly news."" later on the "today" show, brand new clue in the treasure hunt and candid moments with first lady michele obama and this sunday on "meet the press," an he interview with job boehner on the budget sequester and whether washington can break the cycle of governing through crisis. keep it on this channel for local news, weather, sports and more. i'm richard lui, thanks for watching "early today," your first stop of the kay day on your nbc station. have a great weekend.

breaking news. a deadly shooting in sonoma county overnight. we're learning more about a bizarre set of circumstances that may have led up to it all. >> you consider yourself a whistle-blower? >> yes, i do. an investigative unit exclusive. a school officer breaks his silence on a deadly shooting and what he calls corruption. wildfire season starts early. firefighters battling to gain the upper hand on a wildfire in southern california. right now, a calm look at our bay bridge on this very early friday. it is the first day of march, terry. this is "today in the bay."

>> good morning. it's 4:30. i'm terry mcsweeney in for jon kelley. happy march. >> thanks for being with us. i'm marla tellez in for laura garcia-cannon. meteorologist christina loren checking that march 1st forecast for us. >> it's coming in like a lion. good friday morning to you. thanks for waking up with us. you made it to the end of the week. temperatures are going to hold up all weekend long. i usually start with currents but today we'll do things differently. welcome to the warmest day of the year so far. you see that big bold 80. that's gilroy today. 70 degrees in places like san francisco. 75 on the way for napa. we'll hold up for the first part of the weekend. 70s on the way both saturday and sunday. we have a lot to talk about. stick around. let's check your drive. good morning, mike. >> we just missed a