breaking news from the middlest oo. four palestinians and two israeli soldiers killed just hours after a 72-hour cease-fire had begun. we'll take you there live. ebola in the usa. atlanta prepares to care for an infected american. >> this is the toughest ebola outbreak we've ever had to face and ebola itself is a dreadful and merciless virus. plus the bendable flat screen tv goes on sale. a horrible accident involving a giraffe and a bridge. katy perry rocks the white house. it's friday, august 1st. "early today" starts right now.

good morning. thanks for being with us. i'm francis rivera. breaking news overnight in the middle east. hours into a cease-fire, reports of violence. four palestinians killed by israeli tank fire in rafah. also in the same area, reports of two israeli soldiers being killed and one possibly taken alive. the three-day pause in violence meant no rockets fired and troops stay in place, but hamas tunnels would still be targeted. let's get to tel aviv and nbc's martin fletcher. a troubling attempt at a fourth cease-fire. >> reporter: that's right, francis. troubling is a real understatement. the cease-fire is now effectively over. there are reports, in fact, that israeli officials have told the united nations the cease-fire is over. there's heavy fighting in the south of gaza around rafah where that incident took place you just mentioned. a tank did open fire, apparently killing four palestinians. the palestinian death toll has now risen according to the palestinian health ministry to

over 40 palestinians dead and many more wounded. the likelihood of an israeli soldier have been been kidnapped by hamas, which is israel's nightmare and would be a tremendous success for hamas, seems to be a very real possibility. the israel army announced, suggested he had possibly been abducted. what we're hearing from different reports is that a palestinian unit of fighters emerged from a tunnel near an israeli unit that was involved in clearing and destroying tu t tunnels. they came from another tunnel. according to reports here, one of them was wearing a suicide belt, blew himself up, killed two soldiers. we understand may have been able to kidnap an israeli soldier. so hamas is now saying they're going to make an announcement very shortly about what they're calling themselves a unique operation. this would really raise the temperature in israel. no chance of a cease-fire as

long as their soldier has been kidnapped and is being held by hamas. >> martin fletcher for us, thank you very much. and more breaking news in the ebola epidemic. one infected patient is returning to the united states. it's unclear whether it's kent brantly or nancy writebol. they will be taken to atlanta for treatment. >> dr. brantly heard that, he asked it would be given to nancy and not to be given to him. >> the virus jitters have forced a travel alert. people are asked to avoid ebola hot spots. the virus has killed more than 700 people. the cdc says it could take three to six months to stop the epidemic. oh, they were so close to the finish line.

instead of starting their first day of summer recess, congress is back in session in just a few hours in order to wrap up a deal on border funding. house republicans were forced to pull their bill to deal with a number of unaccompanied children crossing the u.s./mexico border because it lacked enough votes to pass. meantime a similar bill backed by senate democrats also failed to move forward. the president is, however, set to sign off on the key pieces of legislation they were able to get through. they include a $16.3 billion measure to help veterans avoid long waits and fix other problems at the va. and a transportation bill that cuts 28% during the busy summer construction season. well, just last night, outgoing republican house majority leader eric cantor told his hometown paper he's leaving congress altogether. he gave a heartfelt farewell speech yesterday. in a statement, david brat, the

republican who beat him, thanked cantor for his service. it could make way for a november special election that could allow the winner to start immediately instead of the new congressional term in january. caught on tape. republican congressman don young is apologizing this morning after a video captures a not-so-friendly encounter with a staffer in the capitol building yesterday. nbc's own capitol hill producer taped this short video of the alaska congressman apparently grabbing and twisting the arm of the staffer. check out the reaction from that staffer. obviously he's in pain. he was trying to prevent young from using a front door to enter a house republican meeting. once the meeting is in session, lawmakers are supposed to use a side door to enter. in a statement, young says the staffer was unidentified and physically blocking his path, but nevertheless says he never should have put his hands on him. the cia says it is sorry for spying on senators. computers used by intelligence committee staffers were

targeted. they were working on a report on post-9/11 cia interrogation tactics. the justice department probed the matter briefly but dropped it. one u.s. senator is calling for the cia director to resign. new on this friday morning, a series of underground gas explosions have rocked taiwan's second largest city. at least 25 people have been killed and more than 270 injured. the blast triggered fires that reportedly blew off manhole covers and created craters. it happened in a densely populated area. officials say the situation is now mostly contained, but the death toll could rise because many of the seriously injured are still being treated. an awful story. outrage after a stunning display of negligence and animal cruelty in south africa. drivers sat horrified watching these two giraffes be recklessly transported under a low highway

overpass. a low bang could be heard as one of the giraffe's heads slams against the bridge. that giraffe later died and was being incorrectly transported. a local reporter tweeted the giraffe's owner said this about what happened. the giraffe hit its head because it craned its neck. the animal rights group is considering pressing consider charges. well, a tropical storm is headed for the caribbean. nbc meteorologist bill karins has a look at that. >> we're getting to the peak month of the hurricane season with august and september. unless you have plans on going to puerto rico, you're just fine. everyone in the lower 48, including the east coast, looks to be fine from that storm. that'll be about it. the west coast, obviously no issues whatsoever. as far as the west went for july, it was extremely hot in july. we all know that. the drought conditions got worse and worse. yesterday, another triple-digit day for many of the same locations. our july rainfall totals ended up being very sparse. look at san francisco and l.a.

medford, oregon, got hardly any weather. same with the boise area. no wonder the fires really started to pop up. here's where we stand as of the new drought monitor. for all of the west, we're looking at 9% of the west in exceptional drought, 44 investor severe. arizona, new mexico the highlighting areas and especially nevada and california being the worst. we have some good news, though. we have a lot of moisture in the air. it's humid this morning. everyone says it's a dry heat. not today. humidity is high from prescott to phoenix to tucson. we have a lot of rain in southern arizona. that's good and welcome. we'll have additional storms later on this afternoon. that's your national fo storms will continue through much of arizona during the day today. i don't think too many people in

the northwest are complaining that now we're heading into august. july was very hot. >> a little bit of a break. bill, thank you very much. the chilling comments from bill clinton about osama bin laden just hours before the 9/11 terror attacks. plus, the next big thing in flat screen tvs is here. you're watching "early today." ♪ the little things that you do for me ♪ [ male announcer ] e little things we do... can make a big difference. every time you use dawn, you're using a brand that supports wildlife rescue efforts. experts trust dawn... because it's tough on grease yet gentle. ♪ you by my side makes the little things so good ♪ ♪ be a part of the bigger picture. ♪ and your kindness makes ♪ the little things that you do for me ♪ go to facebook.com dawnsaveswildlife.

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♪ great rates for great rides. geico motorcycle, see how much you could save. welcome back. chilling new audio uncovered by sky news in australia. just hours before nearly 3,000 people were murdered on the morning of 9/11, former president bill clinton was discussing osama bin laden in australia and the opportunity he had to kill the terror mastermind. >> and i'm just saying, if i were osama bin laden -- he's a very heart is guy. i spent a lot of time thinking about him and nearly got him once. i nearly got him. i should have gotten -- i could have killed him, but i would have had to destroy a little town called kandahar in

afghanistan and killed 300 innocent women and children. then i would have been no better than him. and so i didn't do it. >> stunning to hear after all this time. a sudanese woman who refused to deny her christian faith in the face of a death sentence is back in the u.s. miriam ibharhim will make her home in new hampshire. ? >> -- and this is a scene from nebraska. a tornado destroyed the town, and now the first rebuilt home put into place. ruth bader ginsburg is showing her mox si again. she opened up on her opinion of the male justices. >> but you do, in fact, feel these five justices had a bit of a blind spot? >> in hobby lobby, yes. and singer katy perry performed her hit "roar" at the white house celebration here honoring the 46th anniversary of the special olympics. 7,000 athletes from 177 countries will compete in los

angeles next year. could a simple blood test predict a person's risk for suicide? there's a new study published in the american journal of psychiatry. researchers say they have discovered a gene linked to stress reactions. basically, some people are more chemically vulnerable to the effects of anxiety and ultimately suicidal thoughts or actions. they will now try to back this up in a larger study. "early today" is brought to you by vagisil, the experts in intimate health. time to get down to business with cnbc's jackie deangeeangel. >> good morning. the dow falling 317 points, its worst day since february. it also had its worst monthly decline since january. meantime traders pointing to several factors, including argentina's debt default and issues in israel. the fed may also raise interest

rates sooner than expected. today's foe kwcus is on the jul jobs report. unemployment is seen holding steady at 6.1%. the lowest level since 2008. automakers reporting july sales today as well. their forecast arrives 10%, which would be the strongest since july of 2006. chrysler could lead the pack with sales expected to jump 22%. francis, back to you. >> all right, jackie. thanks very pitch. "usa today" reports this morning that 11 nations including argentina are near bankruptcy. they include those seen here. it's based on significant debt and credit risk ratings from moody's. and this autographed ticket from lou gehrig's final game sold for almost $100,000. and muhammad ali's fight-worn boxing gloves against smoking joe frazier sold for over $388,000 at auction. samsung's bendable tv, which

goes from flat to curve with the press of a button, goes on sale today only in south korea. the 78-inch screen sells for about $59,000. just ahead, new details on the severity of the california drought. plus, the latest sports is highlights next. curing a yeast infection can take days. relieving the itch.... can happen instantly. vagisil max strength anti-itch wipes relieve itch and odor instantly as they cleanse. so why wait to feel comfortable? trust vagisil. the number one wipe for itch. don't be envious. be envied! new revlon colorstay gel envy™ in just two steps, i get what i want. base coat and color in one. then, diamond top coat for gorgeous, life-resistant wear.

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in a "today" exclusive, matt lauer sits down with actress julia roberts. after a long, distinguished career, which movie do you fans remember most? >> i hear "pretty woman" more than any other movie. i go, another decade, anything closer? oh, no, that's the one for me. i sit with my mother, we watch that all the time. >> hear more of matt's exclusive interview later on "today." time to bring you sports this morning. a couple notable trades ahead of baseball's deadline on this friday. the red sox traded ace pitcher john lester along with johnny gomes to the a's. they'll get power hitter cespedes. meanwhile, the tigers will acquire david price. austin jackson finds out he's been traded to the mariners. guess when? mid-game. so he receives a standing o as he's pulled during the seventh inning. rounding out the three-team trade, the rays acquire a

left-hander and nick franklin from the mariners. the rays also received infield prospect willie adomes from the tigers. and to the nfl. ray rice spoke out for the first time since his two-game suspension for his physical altercation with his then-fiance. >> i let so many people down because of 30 seconds of my life that, you know, i know i can't take back. i never planned on appealing any kind of punishment. so whether it was two games, four games, six games, eight games, i was going to own my actions and be a man about it. >> all right. and football fans, what you're waiting for. the nfl season. it kicks off with preseason with sunday's hall of fame game between the new york giants and buffalo bills. that's here on nbc. american golfer dustin johnson has take an leave of absence from the pga tour. johnson will, quote, seek professional help for personal challenges he's facing. his rep said he's not expected to play in a ryder cup in

september. meanwhile, in akron, the wgc brickstone invitational is under way. despite a couple hiccups, tiger woods will finish 2 under, tied for ninth. rory mcilroy finished 1 under par. in kansas city, a unique first pitch delivered from a man born with no arms. he uses his foot to throw that lofty pitch to the plate. still a whole lot better than, you know. oh, boy. poor 50. well, can the godfather of soul win the box office? and the power of "sharknado" continues to surprise. goes through in a day. but what's even more surprising is that brushing alone isn't enough to keep it clean. fortunately, you've got listerine®. unlike brushing which misses 75% of your mouth, listerine® cleans virtually your entire mouth. so what are you waiting for?

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now for some entertainment news this morning. guardians can of the galaxy debuts this weekend for marvel. the superhero flick is expected to earn around $65 million. also, the mick jagger biopic on james brown is looking to pull in close to $20 million. singer/song writer alicia keys took to instagram to announce she's pregnant. >> look at their smile. >> that's an amazing photo all the way around. all three of them look great. wednesday's premiere of "sharknado 2" had about 4 million viewers. that made it the most-watched

movie in network history. the numbers didn't stop there, though. they saw almost 1 billion twitter impressions. and tara reid is using that publicity to reveal her new perfume. guess what it's called. shark by tara. >> how many people will get it because they like it or how many people will get it because it's a good gag gift. >> both, maybe. it's the best thing to happen to tara reid's career after the plastic surgery drama. >> only 4 million watchers. that's like 20,000 tweets per person or something. crazy. >> we need to play catch up. all right. this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day here 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 "l.a. times," california breaks drought record as 58% of the state hits its driest level. this is what the drought map looked like last week. here it is this week. exceptional drought in dark red now covered 58% of the state, up from 36% just seven days ago. and in "time," ice cream genius makes treat that changes color. it's all natural. and some of the other top stories we're following this morning. at last, two weeks after the destruction of malaysia airlines flight 17, an international team of investigators successfully reached the crash site. they had to brave mortar fire to get there. experts fear the scene could have been compromised. they retrieve ed victims' items

and dna samples. up to 80 bodies are still there. well, a new driver in china accidently drives his car off a bridge. it landed on a platform. >> lucky. >> avoiding the water below. he was uninjured, if you can believe it. his car, well, kind of needs some repairs. and in florida, a beekeeper gently removed 80,000 bees from behind a home. he says he was stung several times. they will now be tested to see if they are the dangerous africanized variety of those kind of bees. scary stuff. now to a canine sports club and an unlikely friendship. man's best friend is now eligible for a gym membership. >> why not? >> this doggy sports club includes treadmills, obstacle courses. wellness seminars and classes will be available soon. and a pup and a duckling started the most unlikely friendship. that was them then. here they are now. they're all grown up. they do everything together.

>> best friends? the duck is going right at them. >> they're playing. the duck even eats dog food and drinks out of the dog bowl. looks like a duck, walks like a duck, but it's actually a dog. >> my last dog was a lab. i was considering what type of dog to get next. i was considering a golden retriever. this temperament is perfect. >> might as well get a duck along with it. >> i'd be afraid for the duck. i'm thinking this is a rare thing. >> adorable. time for a look ahead and a look back. colorado begins issuing licenses for undocumented immigrants. the i.d.s won't say the holder is a legal resident. advocates say it makes the roads safer and helps them get jobs. and happy birthday on this friday to vanessa from "the cosby show." and former new york senator is 77 years old. keep it here for for news, weather, and sports. i'm francis rivera. thanks for watching "early

from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." well good morning everyone, happy friday. it's 4:30, i'm scott mcgrew. >> it is friday, i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia-cannon. looking live this morning at downtown san jose. believe it or not, a spare the air day. expected to be a hot one. let's check our microclimate forecast with meteorologist christina loren, hi christina. >> hey good morning, kris, scott, everybody at home. today will be the hottest of the next seven. we're talking about triple digits in the extreme east bay. if you work outdoors, grab an extra water bottle. we are starting out at 67 degrees in livermore always here in the bay area. looking for the cooler weather. just hea t