. good morning. coming up on "early today," the death toll rises and the bloodiest day for israelis and palestinians. secretary of state kerry heads for cairo. outrage from the families on malaysia flight 17 skyrockets as access to the crash site is limited. and any chance for a true investigation is threatened. washington state wildfires continue to rage, but relief could come today. plus, hollywood acting legend james garner has died. a hot air balloon accident caught on camera. and much, much more for this monday, july 21st. "early today" starts right now. good morning.

i'm dara brown. international outrage is growing following the downing of a malaysian airliner near the border of ukraine and russia. there are reports that pro-russian rebels have placed hundreds of bodies at the site in refrigerated box cars. this comes as investigators press tore more access to the site of the crash. interim president of ukraine honoring made a statement about the crash site. >> ukrainians discovered 272 bodies, to 51 of which are already loaded in a freighter refrigerato refrigerator. we sent two trains, four cars of which right now are located in tores city. these gorillas do not allow the trains to leave the wrar. russian president vladimir putin lashed out today, saying russia is doing everything possible to let experts investigate the scene. lawmakers in washington say

putin immediate to do more. >> i would say, putin, you have to man up. you should talk to the world. you should say if this was a mistake, which i hope it was, say it. >> so long as putin is not allowing access to the crash site, so long as the crime scene there is being totally polluted, this man has shown that he is incapable of functioning in a civilized world. >> today the u.n. security council is expected to vote on the tragedy. joining me is nbc's danielle leigh from washington, d.c. danielle, what's the latest? >> reporter: even as the accusations that the rebels are keeping investigators from the crash scene continues to mound, the rebels are now speaking out saying that's not the case, and we have seen one positive sign, one big development this morning. international observers have been able to see where the bodies that the rebels obtained are being kept. had he say they're in good condition, and those bodies are expected to be transferred out

later today. the big question, however, is once these investigators, these international investigators, get complete access to the site, how much evidence will they really be able to get, and how much may have already been destroyed? >> reporter: trains move debris. nearly 200 bodies have been piled into refrigerated box cars by pro-russian rebels, and internationally outrage is growing. >> it is an absolutely shambolic situation. it does look more like a garden cleanup than a forensic investigation. >> reporter: in a video statement this morning russian president vladimir putin said the crash should want be used as a political tool. secretary of state john kerry has pointed fingers at moscow for arming rebels in ukraine. he said mounting evidence suggests pro-russian separatists

are responsible for shooting down the plane. >> we picked up the imagery of this launch. we know the trajectory. we know where it came from. >> reporter: republicans are calling for new sanctions on russia, criticizing the obama administration for not being tough enough. >> president obama is trying to be deliberative. it comes off as indecisive. he's trying to be thoughtful. it comes off as weakness. >> reporter: now more than three days after the crash, aviation experts worry the scene has been compromised and critical evidence potentially lost. >> once investigators are able to get access to the site, ukrainians have provided lab forces them to do their work. today the security council is expected to go down a resolution for an international investigation. >> thank you, danielle. the u.n. security council is calling for an immediate end, an emergency session was held late

last night. at least 110 palestinians were kid and 13 of the israeli soldiers. two of the israeli soldiers were reportedly american. nbc's ayman has the latest on the violence. good morning. >> good morning, dara. israel's shelling of the gaza strip has no sign of slowing down. yesterday was the single deadliest day since this conflict began. in one neighborhood alone more than 75 palestinians were killed in that fight that lasted for several hours between israeli forces and palestinian militants. now, israel has said it lost 13 soldiers in that fight, but more importantly, it says that it is using surgical strikes to target various areas belonging to hamas, including rocket-making factories, and perhaps even the homes of some of the suspected leaders. at the end of the day what we were seeings as we saw yesterday is full scale destruction of neighborhoods, entire buildings, and that has also destroyed a lot of the infrastructure of

some of the neighborhoods. as we were saying, palestinian medical sources now say the death toll has topped 500 in this week of fighting. in addition to that, we are getting some disturbing news that in overnight israeli air strikes on a single home in gaza, in the southern part, that targeted the home of a hamas member, at least 27 people were also killed, including women and children. for their part, hamas remains defiant. they are still firing rockets. they say they have actually inflicted serious casualties on israeli soldiers, including the killing of those 13 yesterday, but they are also now announcing that they have captured an israeli soldier. they say they have an israeli soldier in their custody. the israeli army and other israeli forces are refuting that, but it does give you a sense that the fighting ongoing is still ongoing here inside gaza. dara. >> thank you. reporting from gaza city. parts of the pacific northwest are on fire this morning. crews are trying to tame 21 wildfires burning in oregon and

washington. the fires were lit up by lightning storms last week. a million acres already scarred and charred. homes and buildings lost. in washington a man died trying to save his home, but windy weather is in the forecast, and it could slow down the flames. there is more fall-out following the death of a new york man after police officers appear to have put him in a choke hold during an arrest attempt. four emergency service workers responded to the call on thursday, and they are now on modified duty on the death of 43-year-old err eric garner. in the cell phone video, garner, a father of six who had been arrested a number of times for selling i will greel cigarettes, is heard telling officers he can't breathe as they hold him down and cuff him. the officers who allegedly placed him in the choke hold has been stripped of his gun and badge. meantime, the agency that investigates police misconduct is now looking to more than 1,000 complaints filed in recent years of officers using choke holds.

this morning hollywood is remembering one of its most likable leading men. >> the only time you ever quit when you are winning is after you have won it all. >> actor james garner passed away in his home on saturday. his career spans nearly six decades. the 86-year-old's laid back harm and man's man appeal brought him to fans of all ages. he made two tv classics. in the 1950s "maverick" and -- >> this is jim rockford. at the tone leave your name and message. i'll get back to you. >> the 1970s hit "the rockford files." the role earned garner five emmy nominations and a win in 1977. on the big screen he romanced julie andrews in the americanization of emily. chatted up marlon brando in sigh ann arbora, and earned a best actor nod playing opposite sally field in murphy's romance. >> bob altman said one of my problems is i make it look like it's easy.

i appreciate hem saying that because he knows for a fact that it does not come easy. >> james garner is survived by his wife actress lois clark, and their two daughters. the pacific northwest is still dealing with hot, dry temperatures, but calmer winds could help the battle against the wildfires. here's bill karins with our morning forecast. >> the forecast in washington state was the worst. the carlton complex fire, four fires that all merged into one because of the windy conditions. it's right along the columbia river. what changed over the weekend, the fires peaked over the ridges. when the windy conditions rushed down towards the areas, that was where the evacuation center was, and they have to evacuate the evacuation center. as far as the forecast, notice the temperature still very hot at 90. the winds will be much lighter. instead of gusting to 30 to 40 miles per hour, the gusts will only be 10 to 20. the less windy conditions will really help the fire firefighters. our july rainfall totals, almost nothing in the northwest.

almost nothing for much of the west, and that hasn't helped states. yesterday was about 87 in washington, which is one of the closest locations there no central washington. as far as the forecast for today, there's not a lot of change-ups. showers near reno. we will be cooler in the coastal we'll feel pretty warm in areas of the southwest. >> thanks for that. >> there is rain in sight. >> there is rain in sight. something to look forward to. one of the richest men on earth says working less is key to our future success. plus, a boston hot air balloon goes terribly off course. details ahead. curing a yeast infection can take days.

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illinois children with epilepsy can now use marijuana to ease symptoms. governor pat quinn made it official. it's part of an expansion of the state's medical cannibis pilot program. starting in january kids did k get a nonsmokeable form of manner. they will need parental permission. zimplt in florida a huge sinkhole swallowed the dirt and pavement right in front of a house. it's about 40 yards around and 30 feet deep. the owner of that home is still under an evacuation order. >> call 911. >> call the ambulance. call them. call 911. >> that hot air balloon crashed into power lines outside boston. everybody is all right, but five people were burned. the faa is investigating. let's get down to business with morgan brennan from cnbc. >> stocks are coming off a rocky week ending in positive territory friday despite being hit by the swreeo political worries in ukraine and the middle east. it's a huge week for corporate

earnings as a dozen dow stocks and more than a quarter of the s&p 500 report results. meanwhile, rj reynolds vows to fight a jury award of $43 billion to a widow of a man who died of cancer. the world's second richest man is calling for a three-day workweek. carlos blen instead of retiring at 50 or 60, we should work longer, but take more time off. the 74-year-old believes that would create a healthy and more productive work force. dara, back to you. >> thank you, morgan. just ahead, it is totally insane. forget his golf skills. rory mcilroy wins the british open. plus, beyonce drops a 50 shades of gray teaser. the instagram move causing the buzz. you are watching "early today." .

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this morning on "today" barbecue grill explosion. jeff rossen exposes a terrifying danger of propane blasts right in your own back with regard. what you need to know to protect yourself and your family ahead on "today." now let's take you to sports. ireland's rory mcilroy took home this year's clarett jug at the british open. he held up a sergio gars wra and

ricky fowler. tiger finished 23 strokes behind mcilroy. mcilroy isn't the only one cashing in on this one. his dar, jerry, and some of his fans are banking over $340,000 of their own from a bet placed nearly a decade ago. that bet that rory would win the british open before the age of 26. the odds? 500-1. congrats to rory. in the nfl the buffalo bills kicked off training camp on sunday. rook where i receiver sam where i watkins in his debut of the team. the bills are scheduled to play in on two weeks against new york giants in this week's hall of fame game on nbc. seattle cornerback richard sherman hosted his second annual charity softball game which drew more than 22,000 fans. a star-studded event included russell wilson, and artist mackelmore. sherman led his team to a 19-17 victory. to baseball confusion in oakland. baltimore center fielder adam

jones makes the catch and then runs it in, except that it was only two outs. oops. jones' miscount sending home an oakland runner on third for an easy run. oakland goes on to win 10-2. fans dressed as characters for the popular film. the force was with them as the diamondbacks beat the cubs 3-2. in san diego meet adias. she celebrated the milestone by throwing out the pitch for the padres. great job, agnus. still more control from this pitch from 50 cent. >> early today is brought to you by just for men mustache and beard. champions of facial hair. just ahead, adam levine and a funnier than thou celebrant. than get rid of gray,

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before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. switching to xarelto® was the right move for mary. ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. no regular blood monitoring; no known dietary restrictions. for information and savings options download the xarelto® patient center app, call 1-888-xarelto, or visit goxarelto.com well, welcome back. we've had a very dry july. following on the heels of ae dry june doesn't help in this middle of this epic drought. through the day today showers in the intermountain west, idaho, montana. if you look at the five days ahead, the good news for the fires that are burning in central washington is tuesday into wednesday, particularly tuesday night into wednesday, we have a shot at getting rain out of this. we don't want additional thunderstorms, which, of course, could spark new fires with the lightning, but there's a potential for an inch or two of

rain, but maybe we sneak some into northern california, but not a lot. hopefully we'll have our fingers crossed. washington state, the firefighters there can get some rain. >> thank you for that update. now we're going on to entertainment news. dawn of the planet of the apes led the weekend box office with $36 million. >> that's a big been, $36 million. >> a bit of a slip there. disney's kid flicks "plane fire and rescue" ranked third. the cameron diaz "sex tape" came in a disappointing fourth. adam levine tied the knot with victoria secret model over the weekend in mexico. actor jonah hill officiated the ceremony and brought his sense of humor -- >> would you let him do yours? >> i would be laughing. i would be in stitches. of course. >> okay. good. you are a sport. >> super model giselle celebrated her 34th birthday, and shared these celebration photos. angelina jolie and brad pitt

will reunite on a screen that she wrote and directed called "by the sea." the last team they shared the screen was in 2005 mr. and mrs. smith, the same year that brad stunned everybody by divorcing jennifer aniston. 50 shades of, oh, beyonce? ♪ >> could that be beyonce heard on the 50 shades of gray movie soundtrack? you can make out the sultry version in "crazy in love" in the background of the short video she instagramed promoting the trailer. i'm dara brown. we hope this is just your first stop of the day on nbc. welcome to the corner of and "getting major kudos." just look at you. you're being healthy, even in little ways.

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leading the news, in the washington post governor rick perry mobilized texas national guard troops to secure u.s.-mexico border. according to the south texas newspaper "monitor" perry will announce plans today to send some 1,000 guardsmen to the rio goned valley. on nbc news.com brazil's world cup stadiums reimaged as housing units. now that the games are over, architects believe the massive new stadiums could be fitted with tiny modules to help with the shortage of 5.2 million homes. some other stories we're following for you. it took three hours and lots of teamwork, but a killer whale is back in the south china sea. people found it washed up after the hurricane swept through. the orka kicked up its tail as

it was brought to deeper water. a man in shanghai built this -- it doesn't have an engine, though. if are you looking to buy it, you have to check with your local dealership to see if they have any spares. maybe a good bicycle pedal torg with it. key west was overwhelmed with 431 ernest hemingway look-alikes this year. they competed for the title of pop eye. it took walley six times to finally win it, and he even had to defeat his own son to win that. amazing. can you imagine father and son looking just like ernest hemingway? that's a lot of hemingways there. kids in utah, this is a great one, they went on the slide of their lives this weekend. slide city came to town and transformed main street into 1,000 foot long slip n slide. it took over three city blocks

and 3,000 participants seeing how far they could go. that looks like fun. >> san francisco, wrovl, with the hills would be a great city to do it. the problem is it's like 60 degrees every day. you would need heated water. >> i with still go for it. one of the facilities at kennedy space center is being renamed after neil armstrong. first person to set foot on the moon. >> one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> yesterday was the 45th anniversary of armstrong's famous 1969 moon walk. kennedy space center's operations and building will now be named after the astronaut who died in 2012. happy birthday to john levitt, who is 57, robin williams who is 63, and cat stevens 66. i'm dara brown. thanks for watching "early today." have a great one.

from nbc bay bay area, this is "today in the bay." well good morning everyone, 4:30, happy monday, i'm scott mcgrew. >> happy monday, i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia-cannon this morning. christina loren, good morning. >> hey, good morning to you. i want to get right to the radar this morning. because we actually have showers coming down as we speak. not for the entire bay area, basically for the east bay and the north bay. and this is going to continue for the next few hours. look at this, this is measurable precipitation right now. we had good cells roll through earlier this morning. as we head throughout the day, temperatures are stag