good friday morning. coming up on "early today," solo act. could the u.s. end up going it alone with a military strike against syria's assad regime. we're live in london and the middle east. rattled. the nfl's almost $800 million settlement over concussion lawsuits. high times. the department of justice has a whole new outlook on marijuana. and it's not a buzz kill. plus, an angry ax-wielding neighbor lashes out at a local teen. the avengers have a new villain in store for you. and your ready to go 415 feet into the sky, then fall at 90 miles per hour? get ready. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for friday, august 30th. good morning.

i'm richard lui. the u.s. is readying for a possible solo action against syria, but president obama is facing some skepticism from congress. defense secretary chuck hagel spoke with senior congressional leaders thursday. the 90-minute call detailed the administration's evidence against assad's regime. lawmakers from both parties pressured the president for legal rationale. >> the president is going to have to make his case to the congress and to the american people. i think before he takes any action. >> but new york congressman eliot engel tells nbc news in part, quote, there's ample precedent for the president to initially take action without having a formal vote from congress. and a new nbc news poll shows 50% of americans oppose u.s. and military action in syria, and 8 in 10 believe president obama should get congressional approval before using any force. that information just in to us. we have reports now from the middle east and london for you. we're going to start with nbc's

ayman moyheldin in beirut. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, richard. u.s. inspectors on the ground inside syria are wrapping up their final day by visiting a military hospital, speaking to syrian troops also allegedly affected by chemical weapons. their mandate expires tomorrow. they will be leaving the country. they'll be taking some of the samples and evidence they've managed to gettinger over the last several days to various laboratories in europe to determine the nature of the chemical weapons. what's more important is that they're not meant to assign blame. they are not meant to determine who used the chemical weapons but simply if the chemical weapons were used. and that's why the united states is making the argument that it doesn't matter anymore about what the u.n. inspectors find on the ground. they already have the evidence they need to push forward with this possible military strike. now in response to that, there has been growing frustrations by some in the region that the u.s. may carry out this attack without enough international legal basis. some arab countries say that there must be an authorization

from the united nations, but more importantly, they are objecting to any type of military unilateral military action because it would exacerbate already a tense region and more importantly, humanitarian crisis that worsens by the day. >> ayman moyheldin in lebanon. now to london with a stunning parliamentary vote. >> i strongly believe in the need for a tough response to the use of chemical weapons, but i also believe in respecting the will of this house of commons. it is clear to me the british parliament, reflecting the views of the british people, does not want to see british military action. >> for more, nbc's annabelle roberts live in london. good morning. >> reporter: richard, good morning. while this was a bad defeat for mr. cameron, it means one of president obama's key allies will not be beside the u.s. if and when air strikes against syria go ahead. members of the uk parliament were recalled from their long

summer strikes vote on management action in syria and late last night they voted against. this is a clear reflection of the strength of public opinion as revealed in latest opinion polls here that is opposed to any military involvement. the feeling here, this is all happening too quickly and there are many who questioned what a few air strikes would actually achieve. there's no appetite at all to get involved in an open-ended conflict in syria. hanging over this is the course of iraq. this is a bitter blow. he's effectively lost control of foreign policy at a critical time. in the papers today, illustrate that as well. i'll just show you wan here. the humbling of cameron. if you can see that one. and another one here, pm humiliated. cam down. so really a bad day for mr. cameron. of course, it raises questions about the special relationship that britain enjoys with the u.s. mr. cameron, though, has just spoken and said that he feels he has no reason to apologize to

mr. obam athobama, that the pre will respect the vote in the british parliament. >> annabelle roberts, thank you. an historic settlement in the nfl concussion lawsuit. a $765 million settlement was reached in the case brought by almost 4500 former players. it breaks down to about $170,000 per athlete with $675 million going to former players and their families. $75 million will be spent on medical exams. $10 million for research and education. and additional $5 million for players who develop cognitive impairments. tony dorsett and jim mcmahon sued the league over the negligent treatment and misinformation regarding head trauma. many cited their concussions as the route of later neurological problems. it gained attention after the

suicides of seau. the government is getting more comfortable with marijuana. the justice department gives pot the green light. on thursday the doj said it will not challenge laws in states where marijuana is legal. the decision will be felt large nest colorado and washington state where voters cleared the drug for recreational use. but it will have the broadest impact in the 20 states in washington, d.c., where pot is allowed for medical purposes. one caveat, state laws must not conflict with eight new federal policies. those include giving the drug to minors and selling it for purposes of trafficking. a beloved television star diagnosed with an incurrable form of cancer is beating the odds. when valerie harper's lung cancer spread to the membranes surrounding her brain, doctors told her she'd likely only have from 3 to 6 months to live. that was in january. now seven months later, doctors say the iconic mary tyler moore show actress is, quote, pretty close to remission. harper is aware her condition

could change at any time but for now she and her husband say they have hope. some good news there. california firefighters are finally getting an upper hand on the state's massive wildfire. the rim fire near yosemite has been burning for two weeks now. this morning, it stopped growing, thanks to cooler temperatures and higher humidity. just one-third of the flames are described as under control, though. so far it's burned more than 300 square miles. record-setting temperatures in the midwest this week. that have closed schools. and are threatening crops there. some schools without air conditioning there did not even bother opening. many parents did not find out about that until arriving to find the doors shut. farmers are also suffering. the lack of rain will likely make for smaller crops come fall. let's go to nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer. good morning to you. we've got some hot weather happening there. >> and it is an extensive heat wave that's going to try to break, especially by sunday. more in the minneapolis area, flight the plains states and the rockies. it's going to stay pretty hot.

we do have those excessive heat warnings again across iowa and parts of northern missouri where it's going to feel like it's above 100 degrees. this cold front will start to cool things off. but it's not really helping the west because back behind that we have another system making its way into the pacific northwest where we're seeing scattered showers. nothing too heavy but it's still going to be damp. also the chance of stronger thunderstorms today. down in the phoenix area. so parts of arizona could end up with about 2 to 3 inches of rainfall over the course of the next 48 hours. temperatures, though, look pretty warm. especially in las vegas where we'll be well into the 90s. same for phoenix. much more comfortable where the clouds are in seattle. highs topping out around 75. that's a loo showers and storms that could produce heavier downpours. so again, the heat is really in

the middle of the country. the heat and the humidity. but the west coast, pretty seasonable temperatures for this time of the year. >> good, long weekend to see how it goes. >> exactly. dylan dreyer, thank you. vice president joe biden takes action on guns. plus, the story behind this ax-waving california man going after his teenaged neighbor. "early today" is back in two minutes.

stories making news on this friday morning -- disturb voog of a screaming match between a man and a teenager about reckless driving. it turned violent when the man brought an ax into the argument. in this cell phone video, the teen ducks matrix-style and nearly misses getting hit in the head by the blade. bystanders broke up the fight before anyone was seriously injured. on thursday, vice president biden announced two new measures to reduce gun violence. the first new rule will keep them from importing military weapons back into the country. other new measures closed loopholes used by people who would normally fail a background

check. >> it's simple and straightforward. it's common sense. it's going to help ensure that machine guns and other particularly dangerous weapons don't end up in the hands of those who, as a matter of law, are not entitled to own them. >> the terror suspect accused of plotting to blow up a downtown chicago bar can now add soliciting murder to his list of charges. 19-year-old adele gayud has been accused of trying to get an accomplice to kill the undercover fbi agent who helped put him behind bars. the infamous 47% is no more, according to the tax policy center. now 43% of households pay no federal income tax. the change can be chalked up to an improving economy and rising incomes. fast food workers all over the country left the grills, fryers and registers thursday to protest low wages and poor working conditions. however, analysts say the workers have -- don't have much leverage due to the weak job market. now for business and cnbc's jackie deangelis. good morning to you, jackie.

>> good morning, richard. stocks rose for a second day on thursday on the back of data showing that the u.s. economy grew more than previously forecast this spring. although the market did pair gains by the close. oil prices easing below $108 a barrel after the british parliament rejected military action in syria. meantime, microsoft is reportedly in talks to make a big investment in foursquare. that's the app that lets mobile users report their location on social media sites. foursquare could help enrich local results on the bing search engine. the tooth fairy not carrying much loose change anymore. a new survey shows she's leaving nearly $4 under each pillow per tooth, that's up 23% from last year. richard, back to you. >> jackie, i used to just get 25 cents. the irs has issued new regulations for same-sex married couples to file joint federal tax returns. in june, the supreme court struck down parts of the 1996 defense of marriage act. that opened the door for new

same-sex couples nationwide. the price of gasoline is kripg 2 cents a gallon this labor day weekend with the national average at $3.56. tylenol will be putting new warnings on their bottles. between 55,000 and 85,000 people go to the emergency room in the u.s. eachiary from od'ing on the painkiller and at least 500 die. liberace's las vegas mansion sold for a cool $500,000. the buyer is a british businessman and liberace fan and he paid about $3 million less than the place sold for just seven years ago. drop of doom? six flags great adventure in new jersey is building the world's tallest drop tower. it will rise 415 feet into the sky and once dropped, you will hit speeds of 90 miles per hour. on top of that, it will be built on the face of their 128-mile-per-hour roller

coaster. i'm already getting a little queasy there. kobe bryant's bizarre rehab program. plus all your sports highlights. we've got that for you next.

now let's get the latest in sports for you. there's that far-reaching rolling stone article on ex-patriot aaron hernandez we were talking about yesterday. the patriots president now says

it's not all right. for instance, the article says hernandez told coach bill belichick his life was in danger and that belichick told him he should get into a safehouse. the patriots president now says that is not true. and doubts other claims made in the article. take it to the u.s. open. rafael nadal destroying his brazilian opponent. silva only won three games in his straight set loss. defending champ serena williams did the very same thing, only giving up three games in her win. to the last preseason nfl games. patriot ryan mallet throws to rookie josh boyce. touchdown. tim tebow then hurls this 52-yarder. another 7 from that. sadly, giants running back andre brown breaks his leg in the game. the pats beat the giants, 28-20. vikings/titans. the vikings left their starters on the sideline for most of the game there. seemed to work. especially marcus sherrell's kickoff return.

109-yarder. minnesota, 24-23. college football. north carolina and south carolina. south carolina gets moving way early. this touchdown in their very first possession to the third quarter now, south carolina's mike davis busts through the huddle. sprints for a touchdown. his longest ever. south carolina, 27-10. how do you celebrate a torrey hunter walk-off win? prince fielder comes out swing with gum balls. and the reporter, well, couldn't avoid this water cooler bath courtesy of the catcher pena. yeah, what do you do? here's my report. 736 stairs. that's a good workout. but on a unicycle? 736 stairs. a man did just that at the tv tower in prague. his old record, 299 stairs. kobe bryant in rehab for his akillez surgery. a major injury at 35. sdwhat he do? he jumps 40 feet into a pool below. he sent that video out saying, hey, if i can run, i can jump. i don't know.

just ahead, donald trump offers miley cyrus some advice. plus, new details on paul mccartney's latest project. you're watching "early today."

good morning. welcome back. we're starting off with another damp day in the pacific northwest. it won't be as wet as yesterday. we'll actually see maybe a little bit of sunshine as the clouds try to break apart. seattle, 74. we will see scattered showers and storms down through the desert southwest. las vegas could see heavier

pockets of rain. then as we start off the holiday weekend, the chance of showers and storms in the southwest. but most of the west coast looks really nice. seattle should top out around 82 degrees to kick off the labor day weekend. so anything but fall-like as we kind of unofficially end summer this weekend. >> hopefully our viewers can get out there and enjoy the weekend. you and i get to work. in entertainment news, can one direction overtake the butler at the box office? the big release on this last summer weekend is "one direction: this is us" from the hugely popular british boyband. >> people are always coming up to me and they stop me on the street and they say, arsenio -- >> david letterman poked a little fun at himself as he celebrates his 20th anniversary with the late show. bill murray showed up dressed as liberace. arsenio. that goes back a few days. paul mccartney is working on a new album that will be released in october. james spader, star of "the black

list" has been cast to play the superbad guy in the sequel to "the avengers." the flamboyant donald trump went against the grain with words of encouragement for miley cyrus. >> miley, don't let them get you down. they're all jealous. >> all right. finally, nothing blurry about the line robin thicke crossed while taking this photo with a fan. the mirror behind them shows him putting his hand where, well, maybe it shouldn't be. the picture was later tweeted to thicke's wife, actress paula patton. >> not a good idea. >> this keeps on happening. >> yes. and it's just a bad idea. >> but going back to arsenio. he has a new show coming up. in september. i saw a billboard for it. september 9th. >> i always found him funny. i'm richard lu i. this is "early today." we hope just your first stop of the day on nbc.

leading the news in "the washington post," u.s. spy network successes, failures and objectives detailed in black budget summary. this story outlines the $52.6 billion spent on covert actions, surveillance and counterintelligence programs run by over a dozen agencies. and on nbc news.com, new york mate nance worker to get $5 million jackpot after seven-year wait. the reason, well, the winner turned his ticket over to convenience store workers who convinced him he'd only won $5,000. the details are juicy. check it out on nbc news.com. imagine that happening to you. also leading the news, a stunning british parliament vote against military action in syria. the white house said a decision on a possible u.s. military strike will be guided by america's best interests. suggesting the u.s. may act

alone if other nations will not help. this pennsylvania police chief is already suspended and could be fired for posting videos like this. they show mark kessler shouting obscenities and firing a gun. they are likely to make their final decision. he made these videos to draw attention to the erosion of the second amendment. and the hidden discovery in greenland. buried under a mile of ice, scientists discover a giant canyon carved in bedrock. it's the brown groove on the nasa video we're showing here. it's more than 400 miles long and a half mile deep. a grand canyon underneath a lot of ice. here's proof the -- here's some proof that age really is nothing but a number. at 93 years young, irishman tom lackey is breaking his own record for being the oldest man to wing walk. he's standing on the wings of a small plane as it soars over the irish sea flying from scotland to northern ireland. despite his good and long run,

he says he has walked, or rather wing walked for his last time. probably too many flies. imagine how many flies. >> right in your face, right? >> but 93 years young and doing that. really, hats off to that guy. time for a look ahead. today is bob filner's last day as mayor of san diego. filner's departure follows an agreement to settle sexual harassment charges against him. a court hearing today in arizona on sheriff joe arpaio. it will discuss changes to his policy on traffic stops and arrests to prevent racial profiling. happy birthday to cameron diaz, who is 41. robert paris turns 60 and warren buffett is 83. still going strong, talking about that. here's what's coming up later on the "today" show. part two of matt's revealing interview with mike tyson. and hip-hop superstar chris crown performs live on the plaza. keep it here for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lui along with dylan dreyer. have a good, long weekend.

good morning. i'm bob redell. we'll take you live to east san jose where sjpd have shot a robbery suspect. the latest coming up. plus firefighters continue to battle the rim fire burning close to the hetch hetchy reservoir this morning. there's concern it could affect your drinking water over the next couple years. a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza, crews still working around the clock trying to get to the new eastern span, get it ready and open by the tuesday morning commute. it is friday, august 30th. this is "today in the bay." you made it to friday. good morning. it's 4:30. i'm