good tuesday morning. coming up on "early today," explosions and gunfire. the taliban hits one of the most secure parts of kabul. and our nbc news crew is there when the suicide attack happens. the fugitive edward snowden's exact whereabouts unknown and the u.s. at odds with russia, china and ecuador. hockey heaven. chicago blackhawk fans celebrating the team's second stanley cup victory in four years. plus, an update on that escaped red panda. fireworks at the trial of george zimmerman. and paula deen's empire gets a little smaller. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for tuesday, june 25th.

good morning, everybody. i'm betty ngyuen. we begin with persisting violence in afghanistan. amid the pursuit of peace talks. the taliban is claiming responsibility for yet another wave of deadly violence. late monday, suicide bombers blew up a car bomb outside afghanistan's presidential palace in kabul. that is supposed to be one of the most secure areas in the capital. our own duncan gol stanny was there when it all happened. >> this is a daring attack right in the part of the country that should be safest. we were just by the presidential palace with a group of journalists waiting for a news conference to start when suddenly gunfire erupted all around us. everybody went running for cover. the nbc team was able to get in the back of a car while another group of journalists hid by a wall. with them they had a schoolboy who got caught up in it. he was clearly terrified because this gunfire just kept continuing, as well as a series of explosions around the city center.

we later found out taliban insurgents had driven up to a checkpoint. they'd already managed to get through two. they got out, started firing and detonated a car bomb. the taliban say they were trying to target the presidential palace and the cia. all this one week after the taliban opened an office in qatar, supposedly for peace talks. >> thank you. edward snowden is still on the run this morning. and the obama administration is ramping up criticism of countries it says are shielding the self-proclaimed nsa whistleblower. white house officials pressed russia to turn over snowden. and at the same time, secretary of state john kerry warned china of consequences after hong kong authorities allowed the former cia employee to flee their jurisdiction. snowden had been booked on a flight from moscow to cuba, but the jet took off and landed in havana without him on board. numerous lawmakers continue to call for his arrest on espionage

charges. an explosive first day of opening statements in the george zimmerman second-degree murder trial. with both sides painting conflicting portraits of the man charged with killing trayvon martin. nbc's danielle leigh joins us now outside the courthouse with a preview of day two. good morning, danielle. i assume there are no knock-knock jokes today. >> betty, good morning. it's doubtful there will be more knock-knock jokes. court begins with a dispute about whether to allow calls george zimmer mrn made to authorities prior to the night trayvon martin died. they are hoping to portray zimmerman as a vigilante. before the jury is called back to court, judge deborah nelson will decide whether, too lou a 2011 call george zimmerman made to authorities. >> it's certainly relevant then to meet some of the calls about which the defendant is speaking when he says they always get away. >> how are they bringing in something five, six, seven, eight, ten months before as having a relevancy to today's

proceeding. >> reporter: both sides have used calls zimmerman made to dispatchers to paint a different picture of the night zimmerman says he shot trayvon martin in defense. >> [ bleep ]. they always get away. those were the words in that grown man's mouth as he followed in the dark a 17-year-old boy. trayvon martin armed himself with the concrete sidewalk and used it to smash george zimmerman's head. >> reporter: one of the first witnesses to take the stand was a dispatcher who talked to zimmerman that night. >> this guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something. it's raining and he's just walking around looking about. >> do you hear any anger in that voice? >> no, sir, i wouldn't say so. >> those words in your experience are what? >> hostile. >> legal analysts predict prosecutors will build their

case piece by piece, one witness at a time. >> it's not going to be easy because there's no single witness that tells the whole story for the prosecution. >> it's still unclear if zimmerman, the only person who knows the whole story, will testify. the prosecution has already called four witnesses to the stand. it's unclear exactly how many people they will call on to testify although trayvon martin's parents are expected to speak at some point. reporting live, i'm danielle leigh. betty, back to you. >> well, the chicago blackhawks are stanley cup champions today. in game six of the nhl finals, chicago's brian bickell tied the score with boston on a -- at two on a goal with 1:16 left in that game. and only 17 seconds later, the game-winning st. >> frolik. blocked by rask.

they score! 3-2 with less than a minute to go! >> in the nick of time, the blackhawks held on to beat the bruins for their second nhl title in four years. in chicago, blackhawks fans, of course, cheered the victory in bars and restaurants. and hundreds poured into the streets to celebrate. there is some more fallout for paula deen. smithfield foods is dropping her as a spokeswoman. in a statement the largest pork producer says it, quote, condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. now during a discrimination lawsuit deposition, deen recently admitted using racial slurs in the past but she says she and her family do not tolerate prejudice and have asked for forgiveness. the largest fire in colorado history could continue burning for months. after 20 days ablaze, the west fork fire complex is still not contained. it has forced more than 1,000 residents to evacuate. stretching some 115 square

miles, it's already cost in excess of $2 million. emergency crews hope the upcoming monsoon season will bring some relief to the forest area there. want to get a look at the national forecast. todd santos joins us. >> good morning. >> they definitely need mother nature to step in if she will. >> they do. in some ways, the situation there has improved a little bit as far as the relative humidity starting to climb. they've dropped a lot of the red flag warnings. here's a look at the radar this morning. some rain moving into the west. and it's that system that at least dragged a little bit of moisture in towards the four corners to allow them to kind of get below criteria for some of the red flag warnings. some of the showers in northern california. especially in the pacific northwest. some pockets over the next couple of days up to an inch and a half worth of rainfall. if you remember this graphic yesterday, a lot of that red showing up. a lot of the areas in the front range of colorado. but still the winds out of the west and the southwest, helping

to at least keep some of those fires going. there's a look at where we're expecting rainfall over the next 48 hours and at least for today, keep in mind the chance for some of those showers. phoenix warm. it's really heating up especially this s, still limited and into the 60s. so we'll take another closer look at what we can expect the next couple of days. i'm glad to report something positive on the firefight. >> we do need that. all right. thank you. bunga bunga finally gets silvio into some serious legal trouble. the irs targeting progressive groups, too? plus, the number one reason that 70% of american workers are not engaged or totally disengaged in their work. we'll tell you about that next.

welcome back. nelson mandela remains in critical condition in a south africa hospital. he's been hospitalized with a recurring lung infection. keir simmons joins us from outside the hospital in pretoria. good morning, keir. >> reporter: good morning, betty. the crowd you can see behind me here now are just people gathered around. local reporters for local television stations. this is how worried people are. they are just standing around, listening, trying to hear news on the wall of the hospital behind them is now plastered with good will messages for nelson mandela. we've had no update on his health today but yesterday the president of the country, jacob zuma, says he is still in a critical condition. meanwhile, we hear that members of nelson mandela's family are gathering at the ancestral family home about two hours flight away from here. and they are said to be

gathering to discuss what's said to be sensitive matters in relation to nelson mandela. as people across the country watch and wait for news. >> we're watching very closely. keir, thank you for that update. we do appreciate it. part of a bill overhauling the nation's immigration laws sailed through the senate monday by a 67-27 vote. senators approved an amendment aimed at strengthening border security by adding 20,000 more border agents. and building some 700 miles of fence. the former prime minister of italy was found guilty monday of having sex with an underage prostitute during one of his bunga bunga parties. silvio berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison in addition to receiving a lifetime ban from politics. he is appealing. apparently conservative groups weren't the only ones put under the microscope at the irs. congressman sandra levin says the agency singled out tax-exempt applications with words like progressives for extra scrutiny.

and a code red alert has been lifted in washington, d.c., thankfully, after a lost red panda from the national zoo has been found. rusty right there you see him, has been missing since sunday night but was recovered after an extensive search that actually involved police looking from rooftops. he made it back to the zoo in time before his 1st birthday next month. a little birthday -- a little prebirthday celebration, shall we say. now for an early look at business we tern to cnbc's bertha coombs. good morning. >> good morning, betty. troubling news when it comes to people paying their debts. more people are falling behind now on their car payments. transunion says the rate of late payments rose in the first three months of the year as banks have started extending financing to more borrowers with less than stellar credit. and the ford f-150 is now the most american vehicle. the pickup tops the annual cars.com american made index. replacing the toyota camera

which has held that crown since 2009. it ranks vehicles by sales, the amount of u.s.-made parts and where they are assembled. and looking at stocks, stocks could rebound today after falling on monday on continuing concerns from the fed meeting last week. and worries about china's economy. today we're going to get data on durable goods, housing and consumer confidence. have a great day, betty. >> you, too. thank you, bertha. a recent gallup survey of 150,000 american workers found that only about 30% say they are inspired by what they are doing and are engaged in their work. get this, though. 70% are either not engaged or have basically checked out with the disengaged feeling that researchers call the feeling of permanent mondays. the biggest reason for the negative feelings? bad managers. straight ahead, a huge upset at wimbledon. and the highlights and low lights of sports. that's next. you're watching "early today."

in sports, a shocker on the first day of the wimbledon tennis tournament. rafael nadal was ousted by darcis. it's the first time he's ever lost in the first round of a major tournament. scottie pippen was questioned by police in los angeles after an argument that got physical at a restaurant over the weekend.

pippen allegedly fought with an autograph seeker and left the man hospitalized with a head injury. but pippen was released pending further investigation. nfl hall of fame quarterback jim kelly, what a good guy. he is still recovering from surgery but that did not stop him from his annual football camp for kids on monday. doctors recently removed cancer from kelly's jaw. his prognose sis said to be good, and he won't need radiation treatments or chemotherapy. >> the good thing is, you know, it's just going to take a little time, and -- but hopefully, you know, next year at this time, i'll be completely cancer-free and everything will go well. >> we hope so, too. the nba champion miami heat enjoyed their celebration parade on a double decker bus through the streets of the city on monday. thousands, as you see, turned out to honor the heat for their back-to-back win. they beat the san antonio spurs in seven games. lebron james and teammates partied it up while dodging a few close calls. the 6'8" superstar came close to

hitting his head on the overpasses as he stood on top of the party bus. no worried because king james has the reflexes of a champ. "early today" sports is brought to you by touch of gray. get rid some of gray, never all. just ahead -- johnny depp triggers his inner jack sparrow.

welcome back. still another wet one across a good stretch of the pacific northwest. some of the heaviest rain toward the olympic peninsula. showers into northern california. once you get towards l.a., sunshine. phoenix, 105 not looking so bad. once you get to this coming weekend, we have a forecast for 117 for saturday. there's a look at wednesday. still warm across the southwest. fire conditions at least improving a little bit for the firefight. but still, got to be careful out there. >> did you say 117? >> yeah. >> this is only the first week of summer. yikes. thank you. now to entertainment. and annette funicello's name will live on at walt disney studios. disney officially named the stage where the mickey mouse club was filmed the annette funicello stage in memory of the famed mouseketeer. jerry bruckheimer, known for films such as top gun and pirates of the caribbean was honored with a star on the hollywood walk of fame monday. tom cruise was in attendance and johnny depp channeled his inner

jack sparrow as he wrapped up the remarks with an all-important question. >> where is the bloody rum? why is the rum gone? >> i think he was serious. billy crystal and the celebrity fight night charity raised $1 million in aid for his hometown of long branch, new york, which was just devastated by hurricane sandy last october. and angelina jolie spoke at the united nations on monday where she urged the security council to take action on the issue of sexual violence in war-torn countries. and discover channel's shark week is approaching and the first ad reminds us all that sharks are dangerous animals. >> we are just moments away from releasing snuffy, the rescued seal back into the ocean. and now you see it.

snuffy's triumphant retu. >> holy -- >> shark week. >> please tell me that was not for real because i feel terrible. >> that's such a good -- they promoed shark week brilliantly for years. it's the week of television that seals hate. >> you are a big sailor. have you come close to any of these sharks out there? >> i've seen sharks in the water. >> i've gone shark diving before. >> you've come closer than i have, for sure. >> they are huge. i don't like getting -- >> i stay on top of the water. >> i try to stay on land but i was doing that for a story so i had to get in on the action. i'm betty ngyuen. this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day on nbc.

leading the news in "the washington post" -- nfl's help sought on promoting obama care insurance plans. they're in talk with the national football league to promote the health laws which begin enrolling people october 1st. in in "usa today," qatar ruler hands over power to son. qatar's ruler said tuesday he has transferred power to the 33-year-old crown prince in an anticipated move that puts a new generation in charge of the gulf nation's vast energy, wealth and rising political influence. topping our news, one congressman says the irs targeted more than just conservative groups. michigan's sander levin says the agency also singled out tax-exempt applications with words like progressives for extra scrutiny. there is nor fallout for

paula deen after admitting to using racial slurs in the past. the world's largest pork producer smithfield foods is dropping her as a spokeswoman. deen will be on the "today" show on wednesday. and what a scene in chicago. fans poured into the streets and into the bars last night when the blackhawks scored two goals in the last 1:16, stunning the bruins to clinch the stanley cup. i'm sure they are still celebrating this morning. well, some people can take protesting to a whole new level. british male dream company commissioned a coat made from, of all things, chest hair. yeah, as a protest against what they call emasculating fashions. it features over 1 million strands of chest hair. i don't think any of yours are in there, todd, but it took more than 200 hours to make. >> a manly coat. >> it's a very manly coat. >> it can be yours, too, for just a mere 3,800 bucks. i don't know. i would want to wear a coat by -- with chest hair?

>> i can't see that it feels nice. >> it doesn't even look like it's soft. looks kind of scruffy. >> it's really husky and slightly flammable. >> very manly, that's for sure. president obama talks about the environment today. the president speaks at georgetown university about reducing carbon pollution and fighting the impacts of global climate change. in massachusetts, a special senate election today. democratic congressman edward markey is running against republican gab rel gomez in a race to fill the seat of john kerry. and happy birthday to former nba star dikembe mutombo who is 47, actor jimmy walker turns 66 and singer carly simon is 68. here's what's coming up later on the "today" show. matt lauer talks to actress sandra bullock about her new movie "the heat" and life as a mom and catching up with kris jenner. all that coming up on the "today"for watching this show. we do appreciate it.

i'm betty ngyuen. have a great day.

. the supreme court could be just a few hours away from issuing a ruling on california's prop 8. what we expect to hear from washington this morning. plus, how the bay area is getting ready next. another south bay city takes on the issue of gun control. we'll tell you about the new rules in the works. right now a live look at the golden gate bridge. san francisco is not the only place dealing with some rain. you can see the wet roads out there. christina will have a look at your tuesday forecast coming up. marla, some delays at sfo this morning, not just because of all the rain, but also another major issue. we'll explain all coming up. now we take you live outside to the south bay. it is very dark, as it should be. it's only