coming up on "early today," a summer suit. president obama gives a striking answer as to whether u.s. will expand air strikes against isis in syria. >> i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a strategy yet. >> and what americans think about the situation. plus the nfl takes domestic violence head on in sing lifetime bans for offenders and comic legend jones rivers is resting in a new york hospital after going into cardiac arrest. also the cutest images of the week. it's friday, august 29th. "early today" starts right now.

good morning, everybody. i'm richard lui. plenty of problems but no answers. the president remains cagey and two world crisis escalate. nearly a dozen americans are fighting for isis. inside ukraine the draft is back as russia amps up it's invasion. tracie potts is live in washington. good morning are good morning to you, tracie. i guess the quote of the day is we don't have a strategy yet. >> reporter: he is under a lot of pressure, richard, to deal with isis in syria, to deal with russia in ukraine. president obama says the u.s. isn't ready to act yet. >> i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a strategy yet. >> reporter: in syria where isis is strong, president obama says it's too soon to order air strikes. he is asking the pentagon for

options and sending secretary of state john kerry back to the middle east to get other countries on board. >> reporter: some lawmakers fear that president obama would order air strikes in syria without congressional approval. >> that's not what's going to happen. it's going to be important for congress to know what that is, in part, because it may cost some money. >> reporter: experts wonder whether air strikes will even work. >> it not going to be enough, in my judgment, to actually push them out of areas where they currently are well established. that's going to be a longer-term challenge. >> reporter: another challenge? ukraine. nato says russia has sent 1,000 soldiers in to fight the government. the u.s. may consider more sanctions, the president says, but no troops. >> it is not in the cards for us to see a military confrontation between russia and the united states in this region. >> new this morning russia's

foreign minister is saying that those surveillance pictures from nato showing russian soldiers entering ukraine, he claims that those pictures were actually from computer images. >> all right. tracie potts in washington d.c. thank you so much for that. an isis threat to tell you about from a man in chicago. he was allegedly flying the terror group's flag from his car when police caught up with ahman. he allegedly threatened them with a nonexistent bomb in his car. he is being charged with a felony and is being held on $55,000 bond at the moment. a pew research poll shows 71% of islamic extremist groups. when it comes to the u.s. as problem solver, 39% say we do too much. 34% say too little, and a new gallop poll on the president's job approval, 39% disapprove.

just 17% approve. the question now is how it all plays out in the midterm elections, which we are watching. americans also weighed in on a matter of much lesser importance yesterday. president obama's choice of attire. you may have seen the pictures already. his tan colored suit. esquire magazine was critical of it. they tweeted "you are not the president of sears." other people used word play on that. tv newsman jake tapper simply wrote, "the audacity of taupe." the "new york times" picked up the story. has anyone done yes, we tan. yes. yeah. a lot of play on that. congressman john dingell showed solidarity with the commander in chief. look at the picture, and can you see why. he writes "i see no problem with this suit." he is the oldest member of congress, shall we say. the nation's most successful professional sports league is implementing a new policy for domestic violence. this came after a criticism

after the league gave a two-game suspension to ray rice. he is charged with assaulting his then fiance in an elevator earlier this year. roger goodel sent a letter to all 32 nfl owners saying i didn't get it right. adding, "simply put, we have to do better, and we will." here's the new policy for domestic violence. a first offense will result in a six-game suspension without pay. a second offense, an indefinite ban from the nfl. >> i think what came out of the nfl today is extraordinary in terms of its leadership, its decisiveness, and its commitment to really make a difference on this issue. and startling new information about the ebola emergency. it could infect 20,000 before the outbreak ends. the world health organization, w.h.o., also says so far over 3 house have been infected. over 1,500 have died, and in west africa the price tag for tacklinining ebola?

nearly $550 million. comedian joan rivers is listed in stable but critical condition right now. rivers was rushed to mount sinai hospital in new york city thursday. she had stopped breathing during vocal cord surgery at a clinic. rivers has been open about her health issues in 2013 on her reality show. doctors found a spot on an x-ray calling it persistent cough. in 2002 she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. her daughter, melissa rivers, issued a statement thanking everyone for their overwhelming love and support. two police officers -- two police departments involved in providing security during the protests in ferguson, missouri, are being hit with a $40 million federal lawsuit. the five plaintiffs in this suit allege the ferguson and st. louis county police departments used excessive force. they also claim innocent bystanders were falsely arrested during a protest following the shooting death of 18-year-old michael brown.

>> one of the officers threw me to the ground. >> i was shot probably seven times with my hands up. >> they slammed me on my face as if they were doing a technique move from the wwe. my face on the concrete. my blood is everywhere. >> now, one lawyer says the suit could widen to include additional plaintiffs and threaten to bankrupt the city. taking you to toronto. more proof that rob ford does not need a dance floor to have a good time. watch this. ♪ >> maybe you just likes to dance. what do you think? >> he likes to have a good time. >> he does. >> that was during the council's last meeting closing out his term. just moments before he broke out these, i guess you can call them, smooth moves, he made a speech and he kept putting lawmakers through challenges and embarrassing them. the infamous mayor up for re-election. he is currently in a dead heat with two candidates vying for

his job. maybe it's a dance-off. >> i think of city council meetings as being boring, but -- >> not when mr. ford is around. a lot of people traveling this labor day weekend. >> not too many issues. anyone flying, especially midwest, minneapolis area, chicago, st. louis, kansas city, there's going to be thunderstorms there. maybe minor delays. i think you'll get to your destination if you have to. now, as far as what we're dealing with the waves, the picks, of course, the last three, four days have been epic. you know, some of the sets coming in at 15. as high as 20 feet. now they are starting to die down. it's now post-tropical storm march where i. it's no longer a tropical system. it has weakened. still a storm. it's going to send four to eight foot waves. they'll even die down to three to six or even two to four foot waves later this afternoon. not a lot of rain to be had in the areas of the west. we had that frontal system coming to the nest. over the next four days this takes us right through labor day. there's not a lot of rain in sight for any areas of the west.

temperatures actually should be pretty seasonable. you notice saturday is when we get problems in the middle of the country, and same with sunday too. if you have any travel problems, that's where the best chance of that occurring will be. that's your national weath interior california, still plenty warm. i know fresno will be up around 100 today, so pretty typical labor day weekend where they're heading to the west. >> big plans? >> not too big. >> relax with the kids. >> want to invite me somewhere? >> on my kwaut? if i actually had plans. i'm a pretty boring person. a new law insuring yes means yes when it comes to s. air marshalls are called in again over reclining seat incidents. why so many? why the outcome of this

college football game was worth $1 million to 600 lucky fans. "early today" back in two. ten hut! you up for the challenge suds-maker? i'm gonna need more than that to get through the rest of these dishes. i want more suds! dawn? you won't last. a drop of dawn ultra has active suds that stay stronger longer, so you can clean 2 times more greasy dishes to get the job done. you're full of suds after all. now drop and give me twenty spaghetti bowls! dawn does more. so it's not a chore. at hillshire farm spice is the spice of life. that's why our craftsmen seasoned every sausage perfectly. so you can coax out great flavor effortlessly. hillshire farm beacuse it's worth doing right. and discover an exciting combination of tastes. rich, dark chocolate covering soft centers. flavored with exotic fruit juices.

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geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. all right. another flight was averted. edmond alexander was arrested and sent to the hospital over a pre-existing condition. he acted out when a woman in front of him pushed her seat back. this is the second seat reclining incident this week. california legislators have passed what could be a first of its kind for college campus sexual assault laws. yes means yes requires, quote, an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. the bill now goes to governor brown. nascar driver tony stewart will return to racing this weekend at atlanta motor speedway. it will be the first race since the crash that killed driver kevin ward junior three weeks ago. >> the son of warren buffet says his foundation has bought hundreds of iconic items that

belonged to civil rights pioneer rosa parks. they were stashed in a new york warehouse and put up for auction. howard b. buffett says he will donate those items. today an important milestone for the three ultra rare panda triplets in china. their one-month checkup, they appear healthy. they're only the fourth known set of panda triplets born to artificial breeding programs. so cute. stocks dropped slightly on use krin concerns, but gas prices in the u.s. continue to drop if spite of world disruptions. you'll like that. increased domestic oil production here in the usa is keeping prices in check. speaking of oil, america's richest energy man, harold hamm is in the midst of what could be the priciest divorce ever. his wife of over 25 years is aggressively pursuing a huge chunk of his $17 billion fortune. the "today" show will have the juicy details later this morning. talk about a smart gamble.

the ashley furniture store in college station offered all furniture purchases between august 16th and the 1th for free. the catch here? their hometown texas a&m football team had to beat south carolina by at least ten points. well, last night's final score, aggies 52, gamecocks 28. that means about 600 furniture buyers will get more than $1 million in free stuff. the owner bought insurance so only needs to pay there 15% of that cost. good call, what do you think? >> sales of assault rifles plunged following last week's record sales. huge supplies and no sign of gun restrictions are to blame. northbound's hugely popular black list cashes in big-time, and a fantastic day in the world of sports. all that for you next. tyle to express your unique personality. so why can't you do the same with your eye color? ♪ we at alcon believe you can.

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♪ this morning on "today" ariana grande broke records with her huge hit "problem." now she's taking over the rockefeller plaza for a concert you won't want to miss. that's only on "today." college football back, and swrony football, he is crying just a little here. 21st ranked texas a&m taking on ninth ranked south carolina.

the man replacing johnny manziel, kenny hill, completing 44 of 60 passes, completing 511 yards. that breaks manziel's single game passing record. the aingies pass the gamecocks. 52-28. love the fall. ole miss lays out boise state. in the fourth bo wallace finds cody. he taez it 76 yards. the longest touchdown pass of the neat was that. all that goes on to win 35-13. celebrate a little. week four to tell you about. johnny football finishing strong to help the browns to a 33-13 victory over the bears.

manziel throws. it's a touchdown! well done. the latest tennis sensation, the 15-year-old who is the youngest player to win a match at the open since 1996 is open in the second round of a forced third set. on the men's side andy murray sales past the german contender 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 and novak advances with a little celebratory dancing for the crowd to iing ggy azalea's "fans." just ahead, her hips may not lie, but they're getting ready for baby number two. plus, some surprising news about marijuana and alzheimers, and did brad and angie skip the honeymoon? you're watching "early today." donuts? ♪

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my life has been positively cray-cray. what's snapshot, you ask? only a revolutionary tool that can save you big-time. just plug it in, and the better you drive, the more cash you'll stash. switching to progressive can already save ye $500. snapshot could save ye even more. meat maiden! bringeth to me thine spiciest wings of buffalo. welcome back on this friday morning. let's take you into the travel forecast and into your weekend. forecast today, looks like we're going back to typical summer weather. it got a little hotter than normal. 107 in phoenix. that's scorching. 103 in vegas. the new frontal system is moving on shore. that lingers a little bit on saturday with the cool air in place, especially in the afternoon. we'll get more clouds around with a chance of showers there. temperatures are going to stay pretty consistent.

108 up to there in phoenix on saturday. by the time we get to sunday, much more of the same. at least that frontal system clears out. high pressure builds in. if you weren't getting a lot of sunshine early in the week, we'll try to get you some there in the northwest. especially monday, labor day, should be probably the best of the days. >> i'm sad. >> why are you sad? >> end of summer. >> unofficial end of summer. >> typical summer. warm day. entertainment at the box office. if you are going to see a movie "the november man" with pierce brosnan gets released along side as above so below. it's a horror film that should keep you on the edge of your seat, but we ain't afraid of no ghosts. the re-release of "ghost busters" "hits theaters. nbc's "the black list" will be on netflix. the site reportedly paid $2 million per episode. it makes it the most expensive series yet. we all heard hips do not lie. neither does her belly. shakira announced that she and

her party gerrard are expecting number two in terms of children. miley cyrus's homeless friend from the vma's is no longer a wanted man. he turned himself into oregon police thursday after news broke that there was a warrant out for his arrest. he was wanted on numerous probation violations that included failing to complete a drug test. he posted bail, and he is expected to appear in court in two weeks. eight years after filming mr. and mrs. smith, they are mr. and mrs. pitt. they announced yesterday that they secretly got married this past weekend in a small private ceremony. brad was seen on thursday wearing his wedding ring proudly, and i guess it was a very short honeymoon, or very long courting. i'm richard lui. this is "early today wroish "we hope it's your first stop of the day here on nbc. at hillshire farm spice is the spice of life. that's why our craftsmen seasoned every sausage perfectly.

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>> almost half of all syrians have been forced to abandon their homes and flee for their lives. and in the l.a. times mystery of how rocks move across death valley lake bed solved. so, you know, this has been a mystery for decades. now scientists have discovered that thin ice sheets, ice sheets, they form in the desert overnight and when wind blows the sheets into the rocks the next day, they act like sails propels the rocks hundreds of feet. there you go. interesting stuff there. other stories we're following. right now canadian police are trying to find out what caused a tour bus carrying 56 people to roll off a highway.

health officials say 25 ambulances came to help, including five helicopters, six people critically injured there. in brazil they're calling them the biggest destroyers of amazon. the amazon rainforest. now leaders of an organized crime unit could be going to prison. six gang leaders were arrested yesterday. more could be on the way. brazil's federal police said the group did $222 million worth of damage. could marijuana help in the fight against alzheimer's? researchers from the university of south florida think so. they say low doses of key ingredient phc could help slow or stop the progression of the disease by blocking plaque build-up in the brain. and a follow-up of one woolly character. sean the sheep, a tazmanian islanders -- >> that's unreal. >> he was hiding on a farm, if he can hide. it appeared he had never been sheered until now. his fleece weighing at 52 pounds. >> there he is.

>> tiny fellow. >> not far from the woolliest sheep world record. the record is still held by a sheep named shrek. the before and after is striking. >> you have to learn how to walk again and how to, like -- it's so strange. >> maybe the wrong time to cut him. sheer him as well. the winter is coming. >> he grows it fast and thick. >> 90 pounds. now a look ahead and a look back. closing arguments are scheduled to begin in the federal corruption trial of former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife marie. this after the prosecution rested on thursday. the couple is accused of taking more than $177,000 in gifts from a businessman in exchange for promoting his company's dietary supplements. happy birthday to glee star lea michelle who turns 28 and actress and john mccain 78 today. let's keep it here for more news, weather, and sports. i'm richard lui along with bill karins and the entire early today team. thanks for watching early today. have a great weekend.

from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." well good morning everyone, it's 4:30, happy friday, i'm scott mcgrew. >> and i'm kris sanchez. finally better. i'm in for laura garcia-cannon this morning. lots to get to. first, let's check your forecast with christina loren, good morning, christina. >> good morning and welcome back, we can hear you now and then. you had that sultry thing going, and i liked it. 60 in concord to kick off the day. 60 in livermore. as you're waking up, breathe in that beautiful air this morning because it's going to be down right muggy later on this afternoon.