good morning. coming up on "early today," rising tensions and tough testimony in the george zimmerman trial. an nbc news exclusive. a former vice chairman of the joint chiefs investigated for leaking classified information on a cyberattack against iran. president obama heads to south africa where the world is praying for an ailing nelson mandela. corporate america has moved quickly in dropping paula deen, but her fans are saying not so fast. plus, gwyneth paltrow's striptease moment. fingerprint technology coming to an iphone near you. and would you ride a motorcycle naked 20 miles for a $50 bet? it is friday and "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for friday, june 28th. >> good morning.

i'm richard lui. today marks the end of the first week of the george zimmerman murder trial. it's been a whirlwind of dramatic, emotional and grueling testimony. danielle leigh is live outside the courthouse for us in sanford, florida. good day to you. >> reporter: richard, good morning. legal experts tell me the state has already called their main witnesses to the stand. most notably the teen on the phone with trayvon martin just minutes before he was shot. now they say the prosecution will likely begin attacking the accuracy of george zimmerman's own words. george zimmerman's defense team expressed confidence heading into a fifth day in court. >> i'm very comfortable with the way the case is going out. >> reporter: yesterday attorney don west continued his cross-examination of a key witness for the state. the teenager on the phone with trayvon martin just before he was shot and killed. >> trayvon got hit. >> you don't know that, do you? you don't know that trayvon got hit? >> he -- >> you don't know that trayvon didn't, at that moment, take his

fist and drive it into george zimmerman's face. >> please lower your voice. >> do you? >> no, sir. >> rachel jeantel endured more than four hours in cross-examination, maintaining her belief that zimmerman, not martin, was the aggressor. her testimony encouraged martin's family. >> we believe that the evidence in this case is overwhelming, that it's rather clear who the aggressor is. >> reporter: legal experts say that may not be enough. >> what the state really has to try to show if they can is who began the fight. who threw the first punch and it's not clear if her testimony got the state all the way they need to be on that. >> the woman who placed the now-infamous 911 call that captured screams for help also took the stand. >> do you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> jenna laur told the jury she's not sure who was yelling for help. zimmerman said he shot martin in

self-defense. >> you can't say it was mr. zimmerman or trayvon martin who was screaming for help? >> reporter: it's a key question still unanswered. the state has already called 15 witnesses to the stand. the defense is now estimating this entire trial will last about three weeks. reporting live in sanford, florida, i'm danielle leigh. the senate has approved the most significant overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation. and it did so with bipartisan support. the vote was met with chance of yes, we can inside the chamber as vice president biden announced the final results. 14 republicans joined all democrats and independents for a 68-32 vote in what's become an all too commonly polarized senate. the massive legislation cobbles together priorities from both sides. it includes a 13-year path to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented imp grants and a major boost in funding for border security. now the bill moves to the house where it faces great

uncertainty. top republicans there have said they plan to write their own legislation. nbc news has learned james cartwright, the former second highest ranking officer in the u.s. military is a target of an investigation into the leak of a top secret government project called the stuxnet virus. it wormed its way into the computers that control iran's nuclear program. but the leak of its existence caused damage of its own. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff has more for us. >> reporter: general cartwright was a key member of president obama's inner circle of national security advisers. but legal sources tell nbc news that cartwright has been notified he's the target of a justice department criminal investigation into a highly sensitive leak about a covert u.s. cyberattack on iran's nuclear program. >> my attitude has been zero tolerance for these kinds of leaks. these are criminal acts when

they release information like this. >> reporter: "the new york times" last year broke the story that president obama had secretly ordered a stepped up cyberweapon attack using a malicious computer virus known as stuxnet and that cartwright conceived and oversaw the special operation from the pentagon. >> we're trying to build a second cyberforce right now. >> cartwright did not respond to requests for comment from nbc news. contacted today, his lawyer, former obama white house council gregory craig said only i have no comment. "the times" story detailed key details of the stuxnet including its code name "olympic games." the cooperation of israeli intelligence and its success in disabling nearly 1,000 iranian centrifuges to enrich uranium. >> this leak was very damaging. clearly what was going on here was a method and it should have been protected. and i think it's had devastating consequences. >> reporter: the fbi originally focused on whether the stuxnet leak came from the white house. late last year, agents started

zeroing in on cartwright who had retired from the pentagon in 2011. the motives of whoever leaked remained a mystery. >> there are many reasons why people leak classified information. sometimes it's to attack a program. sometimes it's to defend it. many times we just never know. >> nbc's michael isikoff with that. justice department officials decline to comment on any aspect of this case. but legal sources tell nbc news federal prosecutors have developed their case without subpoenaing the phone records from "the new york times." the fight over abortion rights in texas is getting personal. governor rick perry now injecting himself into the debate over strict abortion bill that is happening there. he publicly called out the senator who led a filibuster to kill it. speaking at the national right to life convention, the republican used state senator wendy davis' life story of being a teen mom as ammunition against her. >> it's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own

example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters. >> davis responded to the governor by saying his words, quote, tarnished the office he holds. staring at the sun in the name of science. a pegasus rocket launched this iris satellite over the pacific ocean late thursday as part of a new nasa project. the goal to improve weather predictions. it will focus on the outer atmosphere of the sun. a little studied region we can't see unless there's an eclipse. emission costs an estimated $182 million and will last two years but it could be good news for meteorologists. good news for susthat dylan dreyer is here, our nbc meteorologist. is that good news, that stuff? >> it's amazing news to make a forecast more accurate? i mean every year we go through the science and it does get more accurate. >> some helping it might lower the temperatures in some areas. >> if it could change the weather it would really be worth it. we're talking about brutal heat in the southwest with no rain, no relief in sight all weekend long. it is going to be exceptionally hot.

even for an area that's used to the exceptional heat. we're seeing sunshine up and down the west coast. seattle is going to enjoy some gorgeous weather today. but areas like new mexico, the rio grande is actually drying up right now. we can really use some rain in that area. but unfortunately, there is none in sight. 87 already in las vegas. it is only going to go up from here. we are looking at temperatures today to top out around 103 in fresno. palm springs, 112. las vegas today, 115 degrees. 127 degrees in death valley. the world record high temperature is 134 degrees. so to not be far from that goes to show you how brutal this heat wave is in that region. thatelko, november november and bakersfield, california.

the numbers are really just kind of ridiculous at this point. and areas in utah, you know, northern utah where they see some of the most snow all year are going to get into the triple digits. >> reading the "salt lake tribune," 100. bunch of 100s there. thank you so much, dylan. president obama is in johannesburg. will he visit nelson mandela? and einstein's take on the bible. plus, the hottest selling truck in america just got a little more interesting. details on that and more in two minutes when "early today" returns.

nelson mandela remains in critical condition at a south african hospital. media presence has grown in pretoria as the world awaits news on the former leader. last night his daughter said the family is holding on. >> we still have this hope because, you know, when you talk to him, he looks like he's trying to open his eyes. when you touch him, he still

responds. >> our business in's keir simmons is outside the hospital in pretoria with the very latest for us. >> reporter: president obama is expected here in south africa this evening. whether or not he will come here to the hospital where nelson mandela is still critically ill is an open kekwquestion. the two men have met before in 2005 when president obama was a senator, but they have never met while president obama was actually president. the question, though, is whether or not it would be appropriate. nelson mandela's family seem open to the idea but say that it would be up to doctors to decide whether it was okay. meanwhile, the news that nelson mandela is a little better meant people were very happy here in the streets yesterday. around 1,000 people singing and dancing in the streets, but he is still described as critically ill in the hospital behind me. >> keir simmons, thank you so much for that report.

the surviving suspect in the boston marathon bombings downloaded bomb-making instructions and gathered online materials on islamic jihad. that according to a 30-down the indictment handed up thursday against 19-year-old dzhokhar tsarnaev. it contains charges of using a weapon of mass destruction punishable by death. colorado movie theater shooting suspect james holmes will be shackled to the floor for the four-month duration of his trial next year. a judge ruled the jury will not be sequestered while deciding his fate. when things couldn't get worse for paula deen, they did. target has become the latest retailer to sever ties with the celebrity chef. qvc says it's taking a pause in its relationship. asian stocks on the rise on updeet news out of japan and word that america's economy is on the upswing. market watch reports the next iphone may include fingerprint scanning technology. one possible use there to reduce theft since only the owner could theoretically activate that device. delta airlines just got

whacked to the tune of $750,000 in fines. the federal government says delta bumps some passengers involuntarily without offering compensation or seeking volunteers first. ford's 2014 f-150 pickup is one of the most popular vehicles in the world. now they are adding an 11th f-150 model. it has a sporty look and feel with better fuel economy and new technology. and red looks great. a bible inscribed by albert einstein recently sold at auction for $68,500. in the good book, einstein wrote "the bible is a great source of wisdom and consolation and should be read frequently." end quote. seems like to might have worked for him. the story behind the naked biker with a well-placed boot, shall we say. and all your sports highlights coming up.

there's more than one full moon on display evidently in oklahoma on sunday. a naked man, that guy right there, was arrested for driving a motorcycle stark naked. we're not going to come over towards you. he was wearing only a strategically placed shoe. at first the 18-year-old said someone took his pants. then he admitted it was part of a bet. $50 to ride from lake chickasha to chickasha naked.

he got more than he bargained for. an orange jump suit and ride to the county jail and that mug shot. in sports, aaron hernandez in court again. the tight end had a bail hearing on first-degree murder charges. his attorney argued he was not a risk to flee. also saying the case against him in the shooting death of a friend is circumstantial. the prosecutor said the evidence is overwhelming. the judge denied bail. police were also back at hernandez's home last night. they are still looking for another suspect. the nba draft officially in the books. plenty of surprises starting with this one. >> with the first pick in the 2013 nba draft, the cleveland cavaliers select anthony bennet from toronto, canada. >> let the talk ensue. bennet played just one season at unlv. also the first canadian to be drafted number one.

the end of an raerks. the celtics make a blockbuster trade. gone are garnet, pierce and terry to the brooklyn nets. in return the celtics get humphries, wallace, three other players and three future first round draft picks. maybe that's why the celtics coach left the clippers. not wanting to stick around for the rebuild. one espn analyst has repeatedly accused doc rivers of quitting on boston. here's rivers. >> i would like to call him an idiot, but i'm too classy for that. that's just his opinion. that didn't happen. and he really needs to know the whole truth, which he doesn't. >> straightforward language there. the clippers announced wednesday rivers was coming to l.a. on terms similar to his celtics contract. just ahead for you -- public polling on paula. and pulling no punches.

it's all about the extreme heat in the southwest. already upper 80s in las vegas and phoenix where they will top out nearly at 120 degrees. officials are warning to drink plenty of water, stay inside when you can. there are all across nevada cooling centers open through the weekend. 88 today in portland and tomorrow 81 degrees to start off the weekend in seattle. and portland should get up to 87. even though it's extreme heat in the southwest, the northwest is getting some of the best weather they've seen all season. >> they'll take that. and put it in a bottle and save it for later on. the summer box office gets a little sexier this weekend.

channing tatum, jamie foxx star in "white house down." it's the second die hard in the white house movie this year. it's going head-to-head with "the heat" starring sandra bullock and melissa mccarthy. can either of those newcomers beat out "monsters university." actor james gandolfini's funeral was held in new york on thursday. family, friends and fellow actors mourned the star. edie falco and michael imperioli and chris christie and almost 2,000 others attended that. following the supreme court ruling on the defense of marriage act, the "modern family" director says a wedding is a real possibility and something worth exploring. the trailer for "thanks for sharing" officially out. that movie focuses on people deal with sex addiction. the real reason the trailer is making headlines, though, this. gwyneth paltrow's sultry striptease for mark ruffalo there in not a lot of clothing,

i shall say. ireland baldwin, the daughter of alec baldwin and kim basinger has landed her first magazine cover. "access hollywood" polled its readers asking if paula deen deserves a second chance. look at those numbers. the majority saying yes, she does. 72%. so dylan, sponsors going one way. the public saying give her another chance. >> and it is surprising to see how quickly the corporate sponsors jumped out of her brand but all her supporters, i mean, i think that's what's really going to keep her going. >> we've seen with other individuals like that, they've come back after a bit of time. >> we'll see what happens there. i'm richard lui. this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day today on nbc.

in the "miami herald" security concerns could cast a shadow on the 2014 world cup in brazil. they have more than 1100 military on the street. in the "seattle times," immigration overhaul. senate passes istoriccal bill. now the 12-00 page bill makes its way to he house. sweeping overhaul in the shadow of bipartisan support, the senate approved immigration reform thursday. pleasing both parties with a 13-year path to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented immigrants and a major boost in funding for border security. it moves now to the gop-led house. and to the depths of space, nasa saying voyager 1 is more than 11 billion miles from the

sun. it's closer to becoming the first human-made object to reach what's called inteer stellar space. scientists do not know how long it will take. could be months or years and it's already been a long time. voyager embarked on its mission in 1990. and it was launched in 1977. now that is a road trip. reporters may not have it as easy as you think. one in india was covering devastating floods while taking his coverage to new heights. while this segment of him sitting atop a villager's shoulders never aired here, the reporters received a lot of backlash on social media and was subsequently fired there. what was he thinking there? >> stay out of the water. >> on a lighter note, this reporter in northwest arkansas also did not have it for easy but her trials were a bit more shocking. >> as we had such a mild winter we've got some of the experts here with us this morning.

>> a reporter is so compose bud when they go all natural when they are just frightened by something. that was a transformer that exploded behind her. a little shocked. time for a look ahead. president obama and the first family alive in south africa later today. they'll deforethe wishes of nelson mandela's family on whether the president will visit the ailing leader in the hospital. a big parade for the blackhawks today. chicago hockey fans will be celebrating their team's winning the stanley cup. happy birthday to john cusack, who is 47. kathy bates turns 65 and mel brooks is 87. keep it right here for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lui along with dylan dreyer. thanks for watching "early today." have a great weekend.

we're following the latest news out of south africa this morning. leader nelson mandela still in the hospital this morning. what his family is saying about his health next. also a looming traffic nightmare to tell you about. b.a.r.t.'s union confirming workers will walk off the job monday morning if there is no contract. hickup after the golden gate bridge gets rid of toll takers. why hundreds of drivers were fined even after they paid their tolls. we take it live outside. a look from the south bay as we wait for the sun's arrival. good news. it's friday, june 28. this is "today in the bay."