very good friday morning to you. here's what's coming up on "early today." an accident at a july fourth fireworks display in southern california. >> oh! oh, my gosh! oh! and washington keeping a close eye on egypt as the world wonders if this is what democracy looks like. truly conflicting reports over nelson mandela's actual medical condition. plus, a major hail storm in new mexico. police pinpoint people of interest in the madeleine mccann disappearance. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for friday, july 5th.

very good morning. i'm veronica de la cruz. nice to see you this morning. we begin with dramatic new video from a fourth of july celebration gone wrong in california. dozens were injured after fireworks malfunctioned and were sent into the crowd. take a look. >> oh, my god! oh! oh! >> at least 28 people were injured during that celebration in simi valley, california. local firefighters and park rangers already on scene set up a triage center to treat adults and children hit by flying debris. all the injuries are described as minor to moderate. of the 28 victims, 20 were taken to a local hospital. as many as 10,000 people were attending the celebration in rancho santa suzanna community park. meanwhile, other celebrations went off safely across the country. in new york, spectators gathered from shorelines to rooftops to watch the 37th annual macy's

fourth of july fireworks spectacular. across new york harbor, lady liberty was standing proud after months of repair. on thursday, the statue of liberty reopened to visitors for the first time since hurricane sandy. >> i'm here to celebrate our independence. >> it's a very big part of our history, and we wanted to be here to celebrate it. >> while most americans stuck with a simple picnic, there was the famous nathan's hot dog eating contest on coney island. joey chestnut downed 69 hot dogs in ten minutes with the buns. if you can believe it, that shattered his old record. other events held around the nation, including philadelphia where it all began over 230 years ago. a reading of the declaration of independence kicked off event these. nvd descendants of the signers tapped the liberty bell 13 times in recognition of the original 13 colonies.

we get an update on the economy with the june unemployment report. they expect it to show solid hiring but investors warn anything less than the status quo could jolt the recently fragile stock market. tracie potts joins us with a preview. >> good morning. you remember what happened last month with the stock market after fed chair ben bernanke said that they were taking away some of their support because it looked like things were getting better. today we'll watch to see what happens to the market. now, meantime, with those numbers coming out shortly, there 24 thiare two things you o take a look at. first, the jobless rate. at the height of the recession, we were at 10 f% unemployment. from 7% on down. so it's been dropping ever so slightly. but not fast enough to really boost this recovery. today analysts think it's probably going to be stagnant. maybe drop down to 7.5%. the other important number coming out today, the number move to jobs created in june.

those estimates, those predictions range from 150 to 188,000. that 188 from adp. the payroll company. also, there are indications that there were fewer layoffs and more hiring. june always a tricky month because it's the month we get fewer teachers working, but a lot more graduates out there looking for jobs. veronica? >> tracie potts in washington, we will be watching. thank you. now to egypt where an uncertain political future looms amid a crackdown. supporters of morsi and members of the muslim brotherhood are detained. there are concerns of violence as egypt struggles to return to democracy after a dramatic political shift in just the past 24 hours. nbc's yousef gamal el-din is on the ground in cairo. what's the latest there? >> reporter: supporters of the muslim brotherhood are planning a friday of rejection here today and across the country as they fight what they call a full

military coup. the muslim brotherhood remaining defiant and saying they will do everything to change the situation. around the military, for its part is not taking any chances. military aircraft flying at low altitude. a sign of strength. and also deployed across the capital to ensure that violence doesn't break out between competing rallies. they also engaged in what appears to be a crackdown on the muslim brotherhood, pulling the plug on three television networks and arresting a senior member of the muslim brotherhood. and all of this is happening just about 24 hours after a new acting president monsour was swarn in to oversee the transition. several names floating around for a prime minister. there are conflicting reports about the health of nelson mandela. they say he is in stable but critical condition but the associated spres contradicting

it saying that mandela is in a vegetative state citing legal documents filed june 26th. something his doctors and the government deny. amid the controversy, a rare public comment from mandela's wife. >> although at times may be uncomfortable, very few times he is in pain. but he is fine. >> the mandela family has strongly denied reports they are deciding whether to discontinue care that may be prolonging his life. the fourth of july brought some very unusual weather. new mexico took a wallop late wednesday from a massive hailstorm, believe it or not. several homes and businesses severely damaged by this golf ball sized hail. and some residents in northern florida spent their fourth wading through floodwaters. washington county is currently under a state of emergency. nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer here with your weekend forecast. i can't believe those pictures from new mexico.

>> it looks like a snowstorm, doesn't it? >> it looks like a snowstorm and it's, what, july? >> i know. but hail is a severe weather phenomenon. it's a summertime thing. but when you get that much hail it certainly looks bizarre. and more thunderstorms are possible in the southwest today. you can see this area of low pressure swirling out in the southwest that is producing some of these pop-up showers and storms each afternoon and evening. some could be strong enough to produce significant hail and also lightning which is a huge concern with the wildfire threat out in the southwest because it is so hot and dry. you can see most of those showers fade away overnight and then redevelop through the afternoon. so that is something we'll keep an eye on across interior parts of the southwest. especially into areas like new mexico and into arizona as well. that excessive heat warning is shrinking. now it's mostly in areas of southern california where it is still going to be extremely hot. but in las vegas and phoenix, temperatures, although still very warm, up around 107, 108,

it is much closer to average. so that is more typical for this time of the year. we should be in the lower 70s in parts of seattle. that's a l prescott, arizona. so talking about temperatures, 105 to 110 is normal. that is more typical for the southwest. >> but lots of red on that map still. >> still extremely hot. most of the country is going to be extremely hot today. >> hardly any yellow which is like, what, 70? >> that's your 70-degree range. not much of that showing up. a violent day in chicago leaves four dead, 15 wounded in shootings. plus, an active volcano forces numerous flight cancellations. and advertisers using a new technique to drill commercials into your brain. you're watching "early today."

the prosecution in the george zimmerman trial could wrap up its case as early as today. zimmerman contend he's killed 17-year-old trayvon martin in self-defense in february 2012. nbc's sarah daloff joins us with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, veronica. before the defense takes the reins, it is expected that the court will hear from the mother of have a -- trayvon martin. after a brief break for the july 4th holiday, the jury returns this morning. the judge had indicated the prosecution planned to rest their case by the end of wednesday but the testimony of key technical witnesses filled the day. a gun and trayvon martin's sweatshirt brought before the jury to help a state ballistics expert demonstrate the contact shot that killed the 17-year-old. >> meaning the muzzle or the end

of the barrel of the gun was up against the sweatshirt when it was fired? >> correct. >> reporter: and testimony from a police crime lab analyst who stated he found neither zimmerman's dna under martin's fingernails nor martin's dna on the pistol grip of zimmerman's gun. >> and you were able to exclude trayvon martin as having dna on the pistol grip, is that correct? >> yes. >> exhibit 169. >> the defense countered by exploring external factors that could have limited dna findings. >> so, for example if the collection was just not a good job, there could be dna that was missed and you wouldn't know that. >> potentially. >> today prosecutors are expected to call their final witnesses. including the trayvon martin's mother before they rest their case. >> they've had to put pieces together without having a single eyewitness who can tell their story. and while it hasn't been easy, their evidence has come in and

the jury will have some things to think about when it's time to decide guilt her innocence. >> now the defense prepares to take control of the witness box. so will george zimmerman take the stand? legal analysts say it is less and less likely as the trial goes on. and jurors hear more of zimmerman's recorded explanations and statements. veronica, back to you. >> ssarah, thank you. new from the vatican, pope john paul ii has been cleared for sainthood. pope francis approved john paul's two miracles earlier today. the formal ceremony is expected later this year. new developments in a notorious cold case across the pond. police in the uk say they've identified 38, quote, people of interest in connection with the disappearance of madeleine mccann. the 3-year-old disappeared while on vacation off portugal with her family in 2007. more violence in chicago. police say 19 people have been shot there just since wednesday,

including four deaths. those numbers include a 7-year-old boy who was shot while picnicking with his family. authorities in washington state announced the arrest of a man that was plotting against a local college. justin jasper was picked up on the university of washington campus in a stolen truck carrying multiple explosive devices, firearms and body armor. one little dog in florida went on a wild ride. when he got trapped under the hoofed his owner's car. no word on how he got there, but a fire team managed to rescue the tiny pup and he is doing a-okay. he is just a little thirsty. and a mexican volcano was the cause of some major flight delays thursday. the eruption prompted major u.s. airlines to postpone or cancel flights out of mexico's international airport. oil prices are hovering around $101 a barrel as egypt remains volatile. a study by delloyd found one of the greatest motives for seeking out alternative energy may be peer pressure.

consumers are growing more interested in greener energy sources and efficiency in their homes, especially if their neighbors are doing it. so if you feel like ads and commercials are everywhere, think again. sky go, a mobile streaming service is now putting talking ads on trains that are activated when a commuter rests their head against the train window. it is done through bone conduction technology which sends a high frequence sboe your brain which then processes it into words. okay. almost 500,000 commuters in san francisco will wake up happy. a strike that shut down the rail system is getting a 30-day reprieve and trains will begin running again later today. straight ahead, a massive brawl in las vegas. and all your sports highlights with alex witt when we return.

now let's get the latest in sports from my colleague alex witt. alex, always nice to see you. >> and right back at you. good morning. good morning, everyone. let's get to baseball fans as they celebrate independence day with america's favorite pastime. the chicago white sox see adam dunn's walk-off home run. it gave the sox a 3-2 win over the baltimore orioles. the twins failed to get a win against the yankees but chris parmley hustled to give minnesota fans a spectacular highlight.

the first baseman going right into the stands to make a circus catch on a foul ball. american soldiers in afghanistan marked independence day by participating in their version of the peachtree road race. over 600 servicemen ran that grueling 10k course kicking off a day of morale boosting activities for the troops. the event has been held since 2004. the winner of the dwight howard sweepstakes expected to be announced today. the most coveted free agent's fate is still undecided. a chaotic scene erupting in las vegas soccer game. fighting in the stands spilled on to the field as fans and players clashed using bottles and rocks as weapons. more than 100 police officers swarmed the stadium. the wimbledon women's final is set. it happened on saturday. > and a huge congratulations to the new york giants quarterback eli manning. the team announced the birth of

his second daughter on his twitter account. she was born june 17th. big old touchdown for that. more than seven points scored. >> congratulations to them. thanks, alex. just ahead, "the lone ranger" appears to be getting left in the dust by the mignons of "despicable me 2." and those around the world are betting on the name and sex of will and kate's baby.

good morning. welcome back. we are looking at a pretty nice day in the pacific northwest. a little cool to start off the day in the 50s. it's warm already in vegas and phoenix. lower 90s right now. but temperatures will be closer to average. las vegas around 111 today. folks, 110. the northwest looking at 70s and 80s. lots of sunshine. some fog across parts of southern california this morning and tomorrow morning. but it should fade off in the afternoon. we'll be partly cloudy and in the 70s. pretty typical. >> in entertainment news now it looks like the lone ranger got ambushed by a group of mignons this holiday. the big budget western starring johnny depp pulled in only $9.7 million on wednesday, raising the possibility that it could saddle disney with a loss on a film that cost an estimated $225 million to produce. meanwhile, universal's "despicable me 2" pretty much ensuring a win for the holiday weekend. the royal baby boom is becoming a betting boom as the

duchess of cambridge's due date draws near. according to one british bookmaker, the most popular bet is on baby names. if it's a girl, alexandra is the first at 4-1. charlotte, 6-1, diana 9-1. and then if it's a boy, james is the favorite at 6-1 followed by george at 8-1. meanwhile, odds the baby will be born on july 13th and 14th are 10-1. and we've been talking about this this morning. we've been talking about the best names and how diana, i mean, pretty big shoes to fill. >> that would be big shoes to fill. i want to know if they are on a list of names that were possibilities? do they just pull these five names out of a hat from? >> i think they were just popular names that kept coming up. okay. we'll have to see. i'm veronica de la cruz. this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day on nbc.

in "usa today," reports france data gathering program compared to prism. leading french newspaper lemond says france system collects information on all facebook, and twitter posts. the french were somewhat crit calf u.s. surveillance gathering. and the huffington post. ruth gader ginsburg resists retirement pressure. she says she's in excellent health and plans to stay several more years on that bench. and topping our news, slowly but surely, firefighters in arizona are quelling the flames to a wildfire that killed 19 of their own. it's now 80% contained. but the firefight in the west is far from over. 37 wildfires rage across the region. 715,000 acres up in smoke.

wind driving many of these infernos. and in remembrance, firefighters from across the nation will salute their fallen brothers at a memorial service on tuesday. switching gears to a big find in iowa. these kids wading through a creek found a mastadon tooth. it's about 20,000 years old. and a whopping 5 pounds. so what exactly is a mastodon? they are extinct but kind of look like an inc.ient elephant. the kids say they'll hold on to the tooth and they're going to bring that tooth into class in the fall. okay. key west residents celebrated the fourth with the world's largest key lime pie. was created especially for the inaugural key lime festival. it was made with the juice of almost 6,000 key limes, 200 pounds of graham crackers. 55 gal ochbs condensed milk and from the look of everyone's face it was not only a gigantic treat but also a tasty one, i guess

you could say. do you like key lime? >> love key lime. and the thicker the graham cracker crust, better. everything about that was amazing. >> 200 pounds really got you this time, right? >> i'm ready. >>e my goodness. bring it on. irs offices nationwide will be closed due to the budget cuts and sequester. it's the third irs furlough day this year and includes all hot lines and the nearly 400 taxpayer assistance centers. gabrielle giffords and her husband continue their rights and responsibilities neurnew hampshire. they are pushing for expanded background checks for gun buyers. and happy birthday to actress edie falco who is 50. baseball hall of fame pitcher gossich turns 62. and john mayer takes over the "today" show plaza with a live concert. keep it here for more news, weather, sports. i'm veronica de la cruz. thank you so much for watching "early today." have a terrific weekend.

new this morning, we have good news to report. the b.a.r.t. strike is over at least for now. good morning, everyone, it is 4:30, i'mon kelly. >> and i'm laura garcia kelly. >> late last night b.a.r.t. workers agreed to call off the strike although there's no new contract in place. >> reporter: good morning to you, jon. i just spoke with one of the commuters in line for the bus bridge from the walnut creek station and she said she just found out about 30 minutes ago on her way here and she was so happy that she won't have to be riding these buses anymore. this is the first one to be taking off this morning, one of the charter buses. now, the striking unions