good tuesday morning. coming up on "early today," overnight more dry ice bombs found at l.a.x. one exploded while another was found beneath a plane. the senate may be getting close to reopening the government and avoiding default. tom hanks and sandra bullock team up for "chopsticks." "early today" starts right now. this is "early today" for tuesday, october 15th. good morning to you, i'm richard lui. breaking news to tell you about. three dry ice bombs were found at los angeles international airport, one of which exploded. but even more alarming, one of them was underneath an airplane at a gate. two others were found nearby. there are no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.

at least four flights were delayed. law enforcement sources tell nbc news they do not believe there's a terrorism leak and that it may be just a prank. late sunday another dry ice bomb exploded in a restricted area employee bathroom. fbi investigations are under way in both of those. a wanted al qaeda suspect is expected in a u.s. court in new york today. abu al libi who worked closely with osama bin laden arrived on u.s. soil saturday where he was formally arrested. he had been held a u.s. warship and interrogated since his capture in libya earlier this month. al libi is one of nearly three dozen men under indictment for the 1998 bombings of the u.s. embassies in kenya and tanzania. of those, nine are in custody right now. eight have been killed. three remain at large, and one died awaiting trial. today the 49-year-old will go before a federal judge ahead of his trial. the nsa is reportedly

poring through millions of contact lists from around the world. "the washington post" reporting it intercepted hundreds of thousands of e-mail address books every day from private accounts. in fact, during a single day last year, "the post" says the nsa collected 445,000 e-mail address books from yahoo! 105,000 from hot mail and 23,000 from unspecified providers. the paper reports the nsa analyzes the contacts to find possible links to terrorism and other criminal activities. the nsa says it's only seeking information on valid targets and is not interested in the personal information of ordinary americans. edward snowden provided the secret documents to "the post." in the words of one top u.s. senator today could be a bright day meaning a deal could be on the horizon. on that day 15 of the government

shutdown that we're seeing today. senate majority leader harry reid and mitch mcconnell met on monday. they say they are closing in on an agreement to end washington's paralysis and to prevent the nation's first-ever default from thursday's debt ceiling deadline. >> i'm very optimistic that we will reach an agreement that is reasonable in nature this week to reopen the government, pay the nation's bills and begin long-term negotiation to put our country on sound fiscal footing. >> those discussions continue, and i share his optimism that we are going to get a result that will be acceptable to both sides. >> but they are not there yet. and the nation is not happy about that. a new abc news/"washington post" poll finds 74% of respondents disapprove of the way congressional republicans are handling the budget crisis. that's a new high, up 11% from just before the shutdown began. 61% of americans disapprove of democrats in congress.

up 5% from two weeks ago. nbc's tracie potts is in washington. good morning. the question might be do we have enough time? >> reporter: well, we definitely can get it done. lawmakers i should say can get it done. the key is going to be will house republicans go along. the mechanics, a budget that extends the government through january 15th and gets people to work immediately after that and also raising the debt ceiling through february 7th. the key, again, republicans in the house. some lawmakers say public opinion polls have made a difference. >> i said this from the start. the only way we get the republicans to the table is if the national polls showed they were way out of step with the american people, and thank goodness the american people are weighing in. >> reporter: we expect that the democrats and republicans in the house and their caucus meetings will get a look that the deal today. richard? >> that's coming in just hours.

thank you so much, tracie. a massive earthquake has struck the philippines leveling structures. the 7.2 quake rattled the country's central region, producing widespread panic. emergency crews pushed -- or rather rushed to pull survivors from mounds of concrete while large crowds sought medical treatment for injuries. fortunately maniy schools and offices were closed due to a national holiday which may have saved lives. belgian authorities found a clever way. asan was arrested after being lured to brussels for what he thought was a documentary on his life. undercover agents posing as filmmakers convinced the kingpin pirate to travel to belgium. when he got there, he was arrested on criminal charges stemming from a 2009 hijacking of a belgian ship. a u.n. report has described hassan as one of the most notorious and influential leaders in somalia's pirate network. there are surprising new revelations about the health of

former president george w. bush. nbc news has confirmed a report in "the national journal" that the former president's heart problems were much more serious than previously reported. and he was, quote, very lucky that they caught them. the 67-year-old received a stent over the summer to open up blood flow to a heart chamber. sources familiar with the former president's medical situation tell "the national journal" his coronary artery was 95% blocked. incredible video coming out of kansas. storm chasers capturing a severe storm that produced a landspout tornado about 15 miles from dodge city, kansas. it brought with it heavy rain and hard-hitting hail. nbc meteorologist bill karins here with more about this. we've seen them on water before. >> tornadoes over water are called waterspouts. and then if those waterspouts go over land, they're called tornadoes. this is different. it has to do with the origin. they're not from supercell

thunderstorms like the big ones that go through the midwest. these are weaker updrafts and circulations on the ground. >> not quite as strong? >> not usually. they don't usually do a lot of damage. that's why they're called landspouts. in the west yesterday it was another warm day in california, especially southern california. even san francisco, richard knows, 77 is a beautiful afternoon and sunshine. 82 in l.a. looks like that's the weather pattern that's going to continue with the big, huge area of high pressure over idaho. huge storm system moving through the northern plains. you're going to get just a string of beautiful days continuing. where the high is located, all the cool air moves down through the rockies but then heads to the east. the warm air and the downslope components brings you warmer temperatures in san francisco and l.a. that's going to continue into today. where the high pressure is, it's cool and chilly there. boise is chilly, salt lake city, but also a nice mild start in l.a. at 59. phoenix at 63. still pretty chilly in portland and seattle. for this afternoon, that's about

gorgeous. just write gorgeous write across that. looking nic humidities. looking pretty nice with that light breeze. >> you can't have it all, karins. no, you can't have it all. >> you can't. and it looks great, though. an santa anas? >> it's not a full-blown event. >> still looking good. macy's changing the rules on thanksgiving shopping. plus the 911 call from this woman stuck on the drawbridge there in pink. and yeah, that time of the year, pumpkin regattas. "early today" returns in two minutes.

welcome back. well, getting some of the 911 calls made when a florida woman

found herself hanging from a drawbridge. >> the race is off and she's there just hanging there, hanging. we need, like, a big ladder or something like that so you can get her down. i don't know how long she's going to last. >> she's holding on tight. on to the beam. we need to get somebody out here. >> wanda mcallen had just participated in a cancer awareness event when she passed warning signs onto the bridge. the rail company has not decided whether to charge her with trespassing. british police say they foiled a major islamist terror plot. at least four men were arrested across the uk. officials say they plan to attack public areas of london armed with guns. tragedy at sea. a 6-year-old boy drowned while on vacation aboard the carnival victory cruise ship. the company says they do not have lifeguards on duty and require parental supervision for children under 13. talk about a close call. take a look at the bottom left of your screen here. a speeding driver narrowly

missing hitting a massachusetts state trooper there. it happened in had a construction zone. that driver was later pulled over. the annual pumpkin regatta has wrapped up in maine. so-called pumpkin heads raced. the ten-day event also includes carving pumpkins, eating them and then weighing them. they actually float. a pumpkin weighing nearly 2,000 pounds took top honors in california. that's about 30 pounds shy of the all-time record. its owner takes home $25,000 in prize money. that thing is gargantuan. now for business and cnbc's bertha coombs. good morning, bertha. >> reporter: good morning, richard. stocks reversed early losses on monday to close at the day's highs. investors are cautiously optimistic on word that senate leaders may be closing in on a deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, avoiding a potential default. and a new poll finds older americans are accepting now that they may have to put off

retirement. some 82% of people over 50 say it is likely that they will work for pay in retirement. nearly half expect to quit working later than previously thought. on average now at age 66. and for the first time, macy's plans to open at 8:00 p.m. on thanksgiving night. the move is an effort by traditional brick and mortar stores to keep up with online retailers who have offered early black friday deals in recent years. so a little football, a little turkey, some pumpkin pie and straight to the mall. back to you. >> bertha, i'm just going to eat. that's all i'm going to do. thanks so much. "the los angeles times" reporting bow charged the army for new helicopter parts but used old ones. the details come from the pentagon's inspector general. a boeing spokesman says they disagree with the ig's report, adding they've been fully compliant. just ahead, monday night football highlights and all your sports headlines. first, a trivia question. which iconic tv show premiered on this date in 1951?

"leave it to beaver? i love lucy? the three stooges? or father knows best? that answer when "early today" returns.

before the break we asked which iconic tv show premiered on this date in 1951? leave it to beaver? i love lucy? the three stooges? or father knows best? the answer is "i love lucy."

lucille ball and desi arnaz. it began with an episode titled "the girls want to go to a nightclub." in los angeles the dodgers mark ellis hits a fly to left center field but the cardinals can't get this one. they tried, though. adrian gonzalez hit a shot down the line to bring ellis home. with the first run there. puig tripled off the wall in right field to score gonzalez. in the eighth we take you. hanley ramirez playing with a cracked rib, hit a blooper into short right and carl crawford raced home from second, beating the flow to the plate. los angeles, 3-0 over st. louis. the cards now lead the series 2-1. what a game. during the game a guy in a bears costume was dancing on the dugout but security officers ended his fun quickly. i guess they didn't like the t-shirt or the dance. monday night football. san diego's philip rivers threw one touchdown pass to kenan allen for an early lead against

the colts. wayne made career catch 1,000, becoming only the ninth player in history to do that. including one in the closing minute. san diego with a 19-9 win. in hockey we take you. mike green of the washington capitals tried to hip-check but his edmonton target moved aside. green flipping over the boards right there. his teammates going hey! look out for those sharp skates along the way. a tug-of-war using a massive 200 yard long rope weighing 42 tons. the teams in japan are supposed to move it five yards. didn't seem to move very much, though. one team was declared the winner in the end. some wild rides in utah at the red bull rampage. extreme mountain bikers racing on narrow paths down a 1500-foot cliff. what are you thinking? cam zinc with an amazing 78-foot backflip. that won the best trick award. now to some buffalo gals and their daredevil tricks in

australia. they ride buffalo like horses. they've trained them to perform acrobatic jumps through fiery hoops and a little bit bigger, i'd say, maybe slower, too. just ahead, leading the news with thanksgivica. plus that jon bon jovi wedding. the rocker surprising a bride in vegas. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. our resident expert richard lui trying to tell me this is

definitely the time of year to visit the west coast and get out there and enjoy and problem is kids are in school, it's hard to take vacations. i guess he's right because this is why. look at this week in san francisco. arguably probably the best week weatherwise. cool at night and beautiful, low humidity and the just perfect weather during each and every afternoon. that's actually the case in many spots out here. it's a little chillier than you'd like in superior sections into areas of idaho and montana, salt lake city there. as we go into tuesday and wednesday, not a lot changes. just more of the same throughout this week. no big storms on the horizon either. >> bottle it if you can. thanks, bill. anthony hopkins is a big fan of "breaking bad." the actor wrote a letter to bryan cranston saying, quote, your performance as walter white was the best acting i've seen ever, end quote. you and all the cast are the best actors i've ever seen. tomanks and sandra bullock were on "the jonathan ross show," and they relived a bit of hanks' past. ♪

>> i'm not doing that last part. >> they looked good there. >> yeah, they did as well. >> liza minnelli broke her wrist sunday night. she was rehearsing for a benefit. doctors telling her not to perform. nevertheless she went on stage with her sister. macklemore and will ferrell are big russell williams fans. macklemore tweeted this photo at the seahawks game this weekend. a whopping $445,000 to take a photo with sylvester stallone and $395,000 just for an autograph. does he need that money? he was not the only star to charge. sigourney weaver charged $200 for a photo op as well. rocker bon jovi fulfilled a fab's fan's dream by walking her down the aisle.

the bride started a website begging the rocker to come to her wedding. and he made her dreams come true there. i wonder how the husband felt. what do you think? >> he's probably just so happy. >> really? okay. >> you think -- big time? you think he's a little sidenote? >> no, i don't think so. at the end of the day, i think you're right, whatever's good for my wife. >> she's happy. off to a good start. >> she's the boss. i'm richard lui, and this is "early," we hope it's just the first stop of the day on nbc.

maxine powell. the finishing school instructor was known for developing the charm, grace and style of motown records artists including smoky robinson and the miracles, the jackson 5 and the supremes. and on nj.com, thanksgivukkah. the first day of hanukkah falls on thanksgiving this year. that hasn't happened again since 1888 and won't happen again for another 70,000 years. four of the seven aid workers kidnapped in syria have been freed. armed gunmen seized them on the weekend on their way back from delivering medical supplies. the fate of the other three workers is unclear. the san francisco bay area

b.a.r.t. train system will keep running. the union and management continued talks past the midnight deadline. the possibility of a strike today was looming after unions extended their deadline by 24 hours sunday. workers last walked off the job for five days in july. the rail system is the fifth largest in the nation. and a milestone is reached for babies born through in vitro fertilization. researchers estimate 5 million have been born through the procedure in the past 35 years. half of those babies have arrived in many the past six years alone. so red bull is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the world's highest sky dive with stunning new footage to show you. never-before-seen angles show felix baumgartner's point of view as he fell toward earth faster than the speed of sound. beyond the new angles, multiple graphs and statistics give us second-by-second analysis of the 127,000-foot free-fall. he was doing a lot of twists and turns there, man. >> i mean, the gs -- they had a

little thing on there how many gs he was doing. >> yeah, really cool stuff and amazing feat. the u.s. supreme court will hear arguments on an affirmative action case today. the high court focusing on a challenge to an amendment to michigan's state constitution prohibiting universities from using race as a factor in admissions. and on this day in 1991, after controversy over sexual harassment allegations, the senate confirmed clarence thomas to the supreme court 52-48. >> his narrow victory tonight came after a day of intense senate debate, debate that displayed raw emotions of anger and hate, hurt and joy. >> happy birthday to the duchess of york, sarah ferguson is 54. baseball hall of fame pitcher jim palmer turns 68. actress penny marshall is 70. keep it right here for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lui along with bill karins. thanks for watching "early today." you have a good one.

actively engaged in bargaining. the bargaining produced some constructive and productive progress. >> as you just heard him say, constructive and productive progress, but still no deal. the good news t b.a.r.t. trains are running. the agency and its unions choosing to continue negotiations past the midnight deadline and into the early morning hours. >> talks are still going on. it appears progress being made but what happens next and whether a new deadline is in place is unclear. good morning. i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm marla tellez. laura and jon are off. we want to get to christie smith live at caltrans heart