breaking news on "early today" -- right now new details are coming in to nbc news about a cease-fire agreement reached between russia and ukraine. isis terrorists strike again. beheading another american while challenging president obama directly. the commander in chief is dealing with terrorist russia and adding another 350 soldiers on the ground in baghdad. a credit card breach at home depot potentially bigger than target's plus the ebola outbreak is growing. record haul in mississippi. netflix getting more personal with facebook. it's wednesday, september 3rd, "early today" starts right now.

good morning. i'm richard lui. breaking news. the associated press is reporting that russian president vladimir putin and ukrainian president petro poroshenko have reached a permanent cease-fire in ukraine after nato decided to beef up its nearby presence. a reaction force of 4,000 troops will make it easier to respond to crisis. vladimir putin recently told a newspaper he could quote take kiev in two weeks. with all this in mind president obama addressed russia's approach at a press conference in estonia. >> i'll leave it up to others to interpret mr. putin's psychology on this, but in terms of actions, what we've seen is aggression and appeal to national sentiments that have historically been very dangerous in europe. >> also breaking this morning,

just a short time ago a national security council spokesperson confirming the authenticity of the isis video showing u.s. citizen steven sotloff decapitated by an isis terrorist. president obama offered his condolences on behalf of all americans to sotloff's family and sent this message to isis militantses. >> we will not be intimidated. their horrific acts only nig s us and those who make the mistake of harming americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served. >> and now to nbc's richard engel who has more on the tragic turn of events. steven sotloff sat calmly as he waited to die. the 31-year-old reporter's voice never broke as he read a statement, a knife held by his throat. sotloff's executioner appeared

to be the same militant who beheaded american reporter james foley two weeks ago. >> this is -- >> the same swagger, the voice, the same heavy british accent. >> just last week, sotloff's mother begged for this not to happen. >> we want to see him home safe and sound and to hug him. >> reporter: she appealed politely to the isis leaders who have mercy on her son. >> as a mother i ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over. >> reporter: they showed no mercy. now the video is evidence. u.s. intelligence will break down all of the tactical elements of this video to try to understand who is behind this execution where they might have been located, what the timing was. all of these pieces fit in to create a broader intelligence picture of what isis is doing. >> reporter: the militants still hold at least two other americans. their fate unknown. >> that was nbc's richard engel.

last night president obama authorizing the sending of 350 additional u.s. soldiers into baghdad to protect our interests there. the decision was made at the recommendation of the department of defense. u.s. air strikes continue to target isis militants in iraq. military officials say 16 armed vehicles near the mosul dam were damaged or devoid stroyed on mo. this market the 124th air strike since august. what can we expect to hear from the president today as he travels? >> well, he's already spoken early this morning in estonia where he wanted to focus on the purpose of his trip there, defending the baltics against what they called this morning russian aggression, but instead, richard, he was forced to address this video that's now been authenticated and whether or not the u.s. is going after isis. >> please welcome the president.

>> reporter: this morning president obama is calling the beheading of american journalist steven sotloff a horrific act of violence. >> americans are repulsed by their barbarism. we will not be intimidated. their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists. >> reporter: fighting the militant group isis on their territory in syria will take time and effort the president said. air strikes continue in iraq and now the pentagon will switch units in and out of iraq, resulting in 350 more troops there to protect our embassy. >> it's not a group that we can safely coexist with and i think this makes it increasingly clear. >> reporter: sotloff's friend accuses the obama administration of dragging its feet. >> time to consider paying the ransom and making sure isis never lives long enough to use the money. >> reporter: president obama is in estonia this morning reassuring baltic nations the u.s. will protect them from russia. >> that is a commitment that is

unbreakable, it is unwavering, it is eternal, and estonia will never stand alone. >> reporter: new this morning, ukraine says it's working toward a cease-fire with russia. >> i just hope it works. >> reporter: russia denies there's a deal to stop the violence. next stop for the president, the nato summit in wales where he and his team are trying to gauge what other countries will do to stop isis. building that coalition against isis before taking any military action. richard? >> tracie potts, thank you for that. a dire warning in the ebola emergency. the cdc saying the window is closing on stopping the outbreak before it goes global. it comes as another u.s. doctor also in liberia is diagnosed. meanwhile, in his first sit down interview, dr. kent brantley describes his fight to stay alive with nbc's matt lauer. >> i don't think they ever said, kent, i think you're about to

die. but i felt like i was about to die. and i said to nurse who was taking care of me, i'm sick. i have no reserve. >> you can see more of matt's exclusive with dr. brantley later this morning on "today." nancy writebol who became infected with ebola in liberia is expected to make a statement today as well on her successful fight with the virus. some u.s. colleagues may be -- may test -- u.s. colleges may test students who have recently been to ebola hot zones. the u.s. will test dna from victims in a terror strike in somalia. the strikes on al shabaab happened monday. drones and helfire missiles rain downed on two vehicles. six people were inside. on the u.s. target list the terror groups top boss ahmed abedy godane. he took credit for a deadly attack on a mall. apple is standing by the security of its systems.

the company said nude photos of more than 100 celebrities including jennifer lawrence were not accessed through its icloud nor it's find my iphone features. apple says hackers obtained the nude pictures using software to come up with random user name and password combinations to gain access to a person's account but apple says it will continue to work with law enforcement officials to find the perpetrator behind these alleged hackings. hackers and people reposting the nude pictures could face child pornography charges. olympic gymnast ma kayla ma rone na is reportedly taking legal action. the 18-year-old is alleging the nude pictures of her were taken when she was underage. who can forget last winter's deep freeze thanks to the polar vortex. we could be in for more says a new study published in "nature communications" and says climate change is to blame for the cold arctic air. that sea ice which plays a part in blocking subzero winds is

slowly shrinking thanks to rising temperatures. researchers linked outbreaks of extreme cold weather this past winter to low sea ice levels and waters off the coast of russia. we got -- >> interesting theory. >> theory. in other words, you're going to have a lot to talk about if this theory is correct. >> yeah. if it was, if the climate is changing in some areas going to get colder and we're one of them that will be very interesting. there's other scientists that already disagree with that study and have thrown it out. we'll wait and see. let's talk about what happened across the country. it was very hot yesterday. some areas in the east another hottest day of the entire summer including our nation's capital -- actually new york city was 92 for the highest of the summer, same with boston, 93, d.c. 95, but they have hit 99 this summer. phoenix hot 109, a couple 100s there in areas of texas. the cooler spots continue to be the northwest and this summer pattern is going to hold strong right through the rest of this week with the warmest conditions from the deserts of arizona

right through the east. it really doesn't clear out until about saturday into sunday when that cooler air from the northwest will arrive in the midwest and then the east. but the northwest is going to stay relatively cool. see the storm system that moved through yesterday did bring a little rain from bellingham to the mountainous areas east of seattle. now some of the showers are northeast of spokane. today's forecast, a very quiet, nice, almost fall-like day in the northwest and we're still very hot in the it is hot in the deserts. yesterday 109, today about 108. and i was able to find some very, very cool air where winter is quickly arriving. i'll show you where coming up. >> where might that be? >> not hawaii. >> you know. >> bill karins, thank you. >> somewhere. >> somewhere out there. it sounds unbelievable.

11 passenger planes missing. who might have them and what are their planes? why shopping at home depot could hurt your credit score. this is "early today." fact. every time you take advil liqui gels you're taking the pain reliever that works faster on tough pain than extra strength tylenol. and not only faster. stronger too. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil every time you take advil you're taking the medicine doctors recommend most for joint pain. more than the medicine in aleve or tylenol. the medicine in advil is the number one doctor recommendation for joint pain. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil at hillshire farm spice is the spice of life. that's why our craftsmen seasoned every sausage perfectly.

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wow! isn't it beautiful? your sweet peppers aren't next to your hot peppers. [ gasps ] [ sarah ] that's my tide. what's yours? welcome back. could a terrorist group have 11 missing jetliners? lybian islamist militias attacked the tripoli airport in july. according to the washington free beacon that i' concerned the terrorists could use stolen planes to carry out attacks on the anniversary of 9/11. calls. >> are you guys applying pressure to the wound? >> i have nothing to apply pressure with. >> any kind of clothing, towels? >> yes, i do. >> a police report says the gun was, quote, too much for her and in a statement an attorney said the family was devastated. california has issued a $1.4 billion penalty against the

state's largest utility for safety violations. those are related to the 2010 san francisco gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people. pacific gas and electric can appeal. transgender teenager is suing south carolina's dmv. it made him remove his makeup in order to have his driver's license photo taken. the state bans pictures where someone is purposely altering his or her appearance. time to get down to business for you. home depot may be the latest retail victim of credit card data breach. the home improvement giant is working with banks and law enforcement to investigate what they're calling unusual activity. cyber security expert brine krebs says if a breach affected all 2200 stores this could be larger than the target theft. netflix the largest subscription streaming service, is now offering users greater control over which shows they share over facebook. a privacy feature will now

prompt users to choose which facebook friends to share information with. two big changes at cvs. it's changing its name to cvs health. and it's also stopping the sale of tobacco nearly one month sooner than planned. customers will no longer see cigarettes behind the store cash register. they will instead see nicotine gum. just ahead, joan rivers' condition, what her daughter is publicly admitting. big news, michael sam is close to a new nfl deal. find out which team. and before the break, look at this record-breaking haul in mississippi. yes, that's a 13-foot, 792 pound alligator. it was caught over the weekend during the state's hunting season. incredible stuff. we'll be right back. this one goes out to all you know who you are... you've become deaf to the sound of your own sniffling. your purse is starting to look more like a tissue box... you can clear a table without lifting a finger... well muddlers, muddle no more.

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all beds on sale. mattresses starting at $599.99. ends sunday. know better sleep with sleep number. now let's get the latest in sports for you. more punishments coming down in the nfl. broncos receiver wes welker suspended four games. he tested positive for amphetami amphetamines. in an e-mail he says in part i would never knowingly take a substance to gain a competitive advantage in any way and the drug policies procedures are clearly flawed and i will do everything in my power to ensure they are corrected. colts owner jim irsay suspended six games, fined half a million dollars and banned from tweeting about the nfl. this even though pleading guilty

tos a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated in march. michael sam, the nfl's first openly gay player gets a second chance after the rams waved him. the cowboys plan to bring him in for a physical today. if he pass e es he will reporte land a spot on their practice squad. >> he was frank, wasn't he. new england's tom brady on the dennis and callahan morning show. he told "men's health" magazine last year he would love to play until his 50s. looks like he'll make it there. he threw over 4,000 yards just last year. and new espn poll says 71% of americans favor keeping the washington redskins' names. now that is less than the 83% from an apg survey in january. many groups believe the name is racist toward native americans. u.s. open doubles williams sisters are out. they lose to the russian duo. in singles tenth seed caroline

wozniacki beat sarah errani in straight sets and roger federer in three straight sets there takes roberto. the yankees announcing this patch will be worn on their uniforms and caps starting september 7th to honor captain derek jeter and will be worn through the end of the season. lots of folks love that guy. just ahead, justin bieber arrested. what could send him to jail. it will affect millions of women. the new rule when it comes to beating breast cancer. you're watching "early today." mmm, progressive insurance here. ever since we launched snapshot, 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.

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friskies grillers. justin bieber, he's at it again. the pop star was arrested friday for assault and dangerous driving after colliding with a minivan and getting into a physical confrontation with the driver. now these charges could have serious consequences. he's on probation for throwing eggs at a neighbor's house. comedian joan rivers is still on life support. melissa rivers expressed the family's gratitude over the outpouring of kindness from fans but did not indicate a change in her condition which was last listed as serious. remember this wayne's world scene. >> good call. >> mike myers revealed he almost walked off the set because of it. he said paramount wanted to use a "guns and roses" song in the theme. but remember this, he insisted on bohemian rhapsody. when he threatened to leave if

he couldn't use that song the studio said okay. >> fans of the shawshank redemption, the prison where most of the film was shot is open to visitors. the former ohio state reformer to is allowing guests to take a tour. they shot it in ohio. the prisoners used to complain in maine because they gave them too much lobster. >> too much lobster? >> it was cheap. caught right off the coast. imagine that. >> i can imagine that. yes, i can. yeah. i get lobster like once a year. it's so expensive. >> i'm richard lui. this is "early today." we hope it's your first stop of the day today on nbc. lily...she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. but once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it.

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leading the news in "usa today," facebook talked ice buckets twice as much as ferguson. the missouri protests over the shooting death of michael brown dominated twitter but on facebook the number of mentions was half that of the ice bucket challenges sweeping the nation. in the "washington post," president obama's unnerving happy talk. columnist dana milbank cites a few examples of what he calls obama's chill lax message about the middle east and adds americans would worry less if obama worried more. in new york magazine, columbia student will carry a mat stress everywhere until her alleged rapist is expelled. emma says she was raped in her dorm and fighting back against the university for mishandling her sexual assault case.

some other stories, in nashville 32 teens escaping from a detention center happened during a guard shift change. they slipped out by crawling under a fence. 23 caught, seven still on the zloos a study on breast cancer and double mastectomies from the journal of the american medical association. 200,000 women were observed over several years. the study found survival rates were basically the same for women who had a double mastectomy and women who underwent tumor removal and chemo. she quit social media because of hateful messages after her father died. now robin williams' daughter zelda is back on twitter. she tweeted this harvey firestein, quote, never be bullied into silence. never allow yourself to be made a victim, accept no one's definition of your life. define yourself. end quote. giant animals seen in london and taiwan, the dutch artist of the buoyant yellow duck has

created two new characters inspired by a children's book. you saw the white rabbit. 82 feet high for the arch festival in taiwan celebrates the chinese folk story of the moon rabbit. floating down the river, the river thames, is a hippo. kind of cool. londoners spotted these warming eyes peeking above the water. you know, i do love the duck, though. the duck -- >> the duck was the first one. the original one. the hippo makes me want to play hungry hungry hippo. >> taking us back. does not look real. like it's made out of wood j a detroit judge will hand down the sentence for theodore waiver, found guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter for the shooting death of 19-year-old rakneeshah as she pounded on his door looking for help. happy birthday to snowboarder shaun white 28, charlie sheen 49, and valerie who played in superman, 71. keep it here for more news and

weather.

>> announcer: from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." >> good wednesday morning. 4:30 a.m., i'm sam brock. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. we do begin with breaking news. right now fire crews surrounding an apartment complex in san jose making sure an overnight fire doesn't flare up. it's happening near the corner of the alameda and west street not far from 880. >> bob redell just got to the scene. laura voiced the concerns here. what can you tell us. >> reporter: good morning, sam and laura. here at heading and alameda, you can see the issue behind me. it's this office building, next to that apartment complex. about a haou