good monday morning. the great kate wait is over. the prince cess in the hospital with prince william at her side as she goes through what might be the world's most anticipated labor. hello. i'm betty ngyuen. it is news the world has been waiting for for nine months now. palace officials announcing kate middleton has been admitted to st. mary's hospital and is in the early stages of labor. a royal baby is on the way, and we have it all covered for you right here. so, let's begin with jim maceda live outside the hospital in london. good morning, jim. we are all waiting for anxiously for this arrival. >> reporter: absolutely, betty. none more so than the press who -- some of whom have been

here now for weeks. you're right. we can report that that long wait, at least is beginning to end. we can't say that it's over yet. we did have some initial signs early this morning, about four hours ago now, that -- when some photographers tweeted that they'd seen a convoy of vehicles, including range rovers pulling in with no ambulance, not where we all are but around -- safely around the side of this building. the st. mary's hospital. and then shortly after that, kensington palace where william and kate are currently living, they released a very short official confirmation saying that the duchess of cambridge had been admitted to st. mary's in the early stages, and i have to repeat, early stages of labor and that she had arrived by car which would indicate there was no emergency. since then, the -- a palace spokesman has said that all is proceeding normally. one sentence. and it's now, however, very

unlikely that we're going to hear any more official updates. even that was unofficial. it was an unnamed palace source. until the actual birth of the future king or queen and until we all see here a palace official coming out of that door behind me of the lindo wing. the maternity wing of this hospital, carrying a medical bulletin. what they call a birth certificate to buckingham palace about 2 1/2 miles away from here. it will be put, as we all know now, on the very sameesle that announced prince william's birth 30 years ago for all to see. >> a lot of rich history there. we appreciate it. joining us now is nbc news royal contributor robert jobson. thanks for being with us. >> hi there. how are you? >> i'm doing fantastic. i know you are just as excited about this as the rest of us. now that kate is in labor, we understand prince william is by her side. think the prince is ready for

witnessing labor firsthand? >> i think it's a shock to any dad but i don't think it's about prince william at the moment. it's about the duchess. he's just playing a very supporting role. that's about it, really. >> yes, keeping her comfortable as best he can be, i'm sure. last week the queen wanted the baby just to hurry up and arrive so it wouldn't mess up her holiday, heaven forbid, which she had to postpone. any chance she'll be coming to the hospital once the baby arrives? >> no, i don't think so. there will be no family members going before the baby is born. i think, if anything, that will be done in privacy of kensington palace before the queen departs on holiday. the queen doesn't go on holiday until friday when she goes up to the scottish highlands. despite some reports that the couple won't go up to scotland at all, i find that a bit unusual because, of course, the duke of edinburgh has not been very well and i'm sure he'll

want to see his great grandson as much as the other family wants to see the child. >> why is it that you don't think family will arrive before family is born. in america, kate's mother would be there, her sister. >> no, it just won't happen. i've already had that confirmed. so i know that won't happen. and they don't like to sort of make it -- dramatic enough at the moment. about 120 cameramen, photographers outside the hospital. they don't want to create even more of a stir. so they just don't do it that way. i think once the baby is born, kate's mom may well go there and maybe prince charles may turn up, but i don't think anyone will go beforehand and certainly not the queen. >> kate, william and the doctors around them. okay. so what do you know about the lindo wing where kate is currently in labor. up until now, some were calling it the limbo wing because we were all just waiting for something to happen. >> the lindo wing, of course is quite famous when it comes to

royal births. it's where prince william himself was born and prince harry. if you remember, some of the viewers may remember princess diana and charles emerging on the steps. it's exactly the same place. it's a private wing where it costs several thousand dollars to stay there and state of the art. everything you require plus a private room so that you've got champagne ready to celebrate the birth. so it's quite comfortable, but more importantly, this is a medical situation. the gynecologist and those that are taking care of kate and the royal family's medical staff are actually linked to this hospital so, therefore, they are quite at home there, too. in fact, the people deal with kate have been on a booze ban for over a month now. so there can be no -- >> yes, we need them sober, no doubt. all right. >> we don't want anybody who is not -- >> robert jobson, thank you so

much for that interesting insight. we do appreciate it. >> my pleasure. there were some dramatic rescues after strong thunderstorms just flooded parts of the southwest. heavy rains washed out a number of major roadways in the phoenix area, including this one. the fast-moving water swept away cars like boats, forcing motorists to cling to whatever they could find. at one point, the rain was so heavy that u.s.-60 which runs through the heart of downtown phoenix was closed in both directions. drier conditions are expected today. while those storms wreaked havoc in arizona, the heavy rain was a mixed blessing for firefighters in california. officials now say these so-called mountain fire near palm springs is 65% contained. the week-old fire has burned 42 square miles, destroyed at least seven homes and forced thousands to flee. now on friday, the governor's office declared a state of emergency. >> the last 24 hours, it's been great for the crews on the

ground. we've been able to make significant progress along the fire's edge. gain that containment. >> nearly 2,000 firefighters remain on the scene at this hour. in cleveland, charges are expected today in connection with a grisly discovery. three women whose bodies were discovered wrapped in garbage bags. 35-year-old mikeerchael madison registered sex offender, was arrested on friday. a weekend search ended late sunday after crews did not find any more bodies. it's the second time in less than four years that cleveland has been rocked by a discovery like this. east cleveland's mayor says the suspect told detectives he might have been influenced by cleveland serial killer anthony sowell. he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2011 for murdering 11 women. the protests rage on more than a week after george zimmerman's acquittal. large and vocal groups marched through new york, raleigh, north

carolina and houston on sunday where supporters of zimmerman also gathered. this came on the heels of saturday's justice for trayvon rallies in more than 100 cities. many protesters are calling for a change in the stand your ground laws. some lawmakers like arizona senator john mccain are joining president obama in saying they want them reviewed. >> it can also see that stand your ground law may be something that needs to be reviewed by florida -- >> in arizona? >> by the florida legislature or any other legislature that has passed such legislation. >> mccain called the law controversial and said arizona should review its own similar law. officials from a german roller coaster manufacturer are traveling to texas to inspect the ride where a woman fell to her death on friday. according to witnesses, the woman was concerned about the roller coaster's safety bar before the ride began saying it was not completely engaging. however, a spokesman for the roller coaster manufacturer told the "dallas morning news" he's, quote, sure there's no safety

bar that is broken. the ride will remain closed until it is inspected and certified safe. here's your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. by all accounts, the current congress has been one of the least productive in modern history. house speaker boehner responded to that title and acknowledged his own unpopularity. >> we should not be judged on how many new laws we create. we ought to be judged on how many laws we repeal. we've got more laws than the administration could ever enforce. >> president obama will be back at knox college this week to deliver what's being billion as a major speech on the economy. he first spoke there as a senator back in 2005. white house advisers say the president believes washington has taken its eye off the ball when it comes to the economy. and texas senator ted cruz was in iowa again over the weekend, but insists he is not running for president. the freshman republican says he's just participating in a

national debate and not interested in politics. >> i've been in the senate all of seven months. >> right. >> the last office i was elected to was student council. so this has been a bit of a whirlwind. >> and that, my friends is your morning dish of "scrambled politics." for a look at monday's weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. relief from this heat. you say it's on the way or already here? >> it started. >> someone needs to tell me because it feels pretty hot out there. >> 93 in d.c. yesterday. wasn't like the heat wave really -- it broke but it's still very warm and above average. so let me show you what we're dealing with. a few troubled spots. indiana, some heavy rain for you. anyone driving across interstate 70 through downtown indianapolis, towards the peak of the rush hour, you'll have rain to deal with. also southern michigan. as we look towards this week, we're getting toward the end of july. this is the time of year we can see those bigger storms in the tropics and possibly even those hurricanes. right now it's still very quiet. that is fantastic news out

there. so this week, we're going to track another cold front. this will bring cooler, drier, beautiful air down through the northern plains. today it's up in the dakotas heading through northern portions of minnesota. still very hot in the west. fire danger still very high the beginning of this week. a lot of scattered storms in the east. especially from the great lakes through the ohio valley into the northeast. then by tuesday, tomorrow, that cold front will move through areas like chicago, head for kansas city and then bring some beautiful air into minneapolis. that will try to arrive throughout the eastern half of the country. especially the northeast by wednesday. so another shot of relief coming our way. this week is not as bad as last week. it's not enjoyable, but it's not as bad. >> getting a little better, and we'll take what we can. kate middleton is in labor inside st. mary's hospital in london as we await the arrival of the royal baby. stay tuned for that. plus, pope francis is getting ready for a major international trip today. that's next. [ whispering ] uh! i had a nightmare!

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here some are stories making news this morning. pope france sis headed to rio de janeiro today marking his first international trip. with over 2 million people expected to greet him, the pope will be guarded by more than 23,000 different military and security personnel. although he is leaving the bulletproof popemobile at home. all of this security is bringing the cost of the trip to an estimated $150 million with about one-third of it covered by brazil. a new york woman has been charged with defrauding a boston bombing fund of $480,000. the 26-year-old claimed a brain injury from the marathon bombing and was given the money by a non-profit organization. after receiving a tip that the claim was false, the massachusetts attorney general investigated and turned up the fraud. late friday night a woman's car was hit by a tractor trailer and plunged 40 feet into the chesapeake bay. luckily the woman escaped and swam to the nearby shore.

she was rlgs released from the hospital this weekend. 54 people are reported dead after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit northwest china early monday. an estimated 296 more are reported injured. for a look at your first look at business news today, we turn to mary thompson. good morning, mary. >> good morning. futures are higher as the market comes off the fourth straight week of gains. earnings are in focus this week as nearly one-third of the companies in the s&p 500 are set to report. including mcdonald's, apple, boeing and caterpillar. get set for more pain at the pump this summer. aaa says retail gas prices rose 12 cents in the past week to a national average of $3.67 a gallon. and gas prices are likely to go even higher in the coming weeks. the help wanted signs may be going out. a new survey of professional economists finld s finds compa more confident about the economy and hiring. their firms added workers this spring. the highest percentage in two

years. betty, back to you. straight ahead, a huge day for lefty. and all your sports highlights with richard lui. that's next. and didn't know whe. at angie's list, you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare written by people just like you. no company can pay to be on angie's list, so you can trust what you're reading. angie's list is like having thousands of close neighbors, where i can go ask for personal recommendations. that's the idea. before you have any work done, check angie's list. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. i love you, angie. sorry, honey.

now for the latest in sports i turn to richard lui. good monday morning. >> we made it here, betty. and so did one guy in britain. this comes from -- this is a come-from-behind for the ages. phil mickelson starting the day five strokes behind the leader for the last six holes he charges back four birdie putts.

lefty's emotional win was his first at the british open in 20 tries. finished with a 66. the best final round in a major since 2000. the quarterfinals in the soccer gold cup. team usa on a scoring roll on home turf in baltimore. but the crowd favoring opponent el salvador. that didn't faze usa wingning 5-1. the next game against honduras, still on home turf. time on a bicycle. a lot of time. 2,100 miles. 83 hours. 56 minutes. britain's chris froome wins the tour de france. it was the first nighttime finish in a century. beautiful there, though. it was a red-eye red sox yankees game. it just finished at 1:00 a.m. this morning. red sox mike napoli the hero. bottom of the 11th with a home run to win 8-7. >> that went late into the night, nearly the morning. fly balls can get lost in the sun. but how about this? a skydiver --

>> watch out. oh, he took him out. >> totally clotheslined there. the shortstop just standing there looking at the skydiver. a scrape over his eye. probably the best he stays in the infield, though. let's talk kobe bryant memorabilia. two nba championship rings fetched almost 300,000 gs. there they are. and they were duplicates. those two high school uniforms got 92 large. 62,000 being donated to the bully project from the auction. what would your stuff from high school fetch, you think? >> nothing near that. maybe 5 bucks if i'm lucky. >> $1.95. >> the cost of shipping. that's about it. >> thank you richard. we want to let you know we are keeping a very close eye on st. mary's hospital in london where the duchess of cambridge, kate middleton, is in labor at this hour. keep it here throughout the day for the latest on kate's progress. ♪

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welcome back. finally, the royal baby is officially on its way. kensington palace tells nbc news, duchess kate middleton has been admitted to st. mary's hospital in the early stages of labor. the duchess traveled by car from the palace to the lindo wing of the hospital early this morning. and we are here with bill karins and richard lui. we're going to be joined from london. royal watcher neil shawn. and i understand that you have a lot of inside scoop. now that kate is in labor, any idea how well they have prepared for this moment? have they taken any birthing

classes? how well is william prepared for watching this firsthand? >> morning, betty. lovely to speak to you and morning richard and bill. yeah, obviously the royals -- they prepare everything. let me tell you, right down to even the dress that when she emerges from the lindo wing, with, of course, baby in arms, alongside william, it's all been down to a fine sort of tooth comb. they have to be prepared because, of course, you know, the world is looking at them. i think what's interesting, though, when she decided last night that, you know, she wanted to go to hospital, everybody was positioned at the wrong area because she went into a very much side door in the hospital and was snuck in that way. apparently two photographers did get one picture of the car. >> she gave the media the slip. good for her, right? >> clever, though, betty. clever. weeks of waiting and she went like that. >> who is in the room and the line of succession. i read that in the 1930s was the

last time -- there used to be an interior minister that used to be in the room when the birth happened just to make sure the line of succession. how do they make sure and keep track of the baby? any mark put on the baby, any pictures? it's an important thing, right? >> actually, you hit the nail on the head. the last actual child to be born in the presence of what they call the home secretary in england was in fact, the queen. if you saw our latest home secretary, teresa may, i don't think it would do kate any good sort of hanging over the bed looking away. but there's no mark on the baby. there's no nothing. there's a lot more trust in that. and it wasn't that it was a trust thing before. these were historical facts that had to be done. sort of moved by the rules. as we now have seen, we've seen a very much more modern royal family. the fact that prince william will be in the room right now nervously pouncing and sweating away, i think that says a lot to how far the royal family have gone.

if you recall, when prince charles was there when william and harry was born, he was in the hospital. he certainly wasn't in the room as everybody says. >> lots of folks in the room there. one of the numbers is that $380 million that some are estimating that could come from this one single baby. are they going to have a second one, i'd ask? the first one isn't even out of the oven. >> you're naughty. the thing is, of course, they have these sort of phrase within the royals that you have to produce an heir and a spare. so, of course if you look at william and harry, that's what they call it. when you look at -- everybody says, kate is 31 or whatever now. as if she's ready for a pension. i mean, this is a very vibrant young and healthy, beautiful lady. of course she can have another child. but as any lady out there watching your show this morning will know, maybe they kind of want a breather. it's a bit of a tough call for nine months. >> we're all waiting, though, anxiously for this baby to hurry up and arrive. thanks for your time.

i understand this baby will already be a billionaire. it hasn't even arrived and -- >> i'm on record going boy. >> i'm going to say a girl. >> girl. >> yep, it's going to be a queen in the future. third in line to the throne. i'm betty ngyuen. this is "first look." stay tuned to "way too early." royal baby watch now at def con 1. the duchess of cambridge is at the hospital. we'll have a live report from london. tensions in texas. protests in houston show us at the trayvon murder case is still stoking emotions in many parts of this country. and outside this country, phil mickelson plays the round of his life. he wins his fifth major as tiger woods continues his drought. we're all hugs here on a monday. this is "way too early." morning, everybody.

i'm brian shactman. it's july 22nd. also a late night red sox/yankees thriller to show you and the pope now in the most populous catholic country. we begin with that news out of london where the duchess of cambridge has been admitted to the hospital. palace officials confirm she's in the early stages of labor. joining us from outside st. mary's hospital, nbc news correspondent jim maceda. jim, let the hysteria, i guess, continue, not just begin. >> reporter: hi, brian. well, that's right. we can report that the long wait is not yet over but certainly is beginning to end. we had initial signs that something was up. something was moving around now 4 1/2 hours ago when some photographers tweeted that they'd seen a convoy of vehicles, including range rovers, but no ambulance pulling into one of the side entrances of the hospital. then shortly after that,