very good monday morning to you. right now on "first look," the threat of a new terror attack remains credible as obama extends embassy closures. d-day for a-rod. major league baseball is set to rule at high noon. manziel investigation. did texas a&m's johnny manziel profit from autographs. closing arguments in the trial of mob boss whitey boger. i'm veronica de la cruz, nice to see you. americans at home and around the

world remain on high alert after credible terror threats. this morning there are new details about why they're forcing many embassies and consulates to remain closed. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker has details. >> reporter: back at camp david president obama is getting brief tinges on the threat that has shut middle eastern diplomatic posts and put americans traveling abroad on high alert. >> there's been an awful lot of chatter out there, conversation among terrorists about the planning that's going on, very reminiscent of what we saw pre 9/11. >> reporter: according to two top u.s. officials the terror plot could include one large attack or simultaneous attacks around the world, but the intelligence still isn't crystal clear. from cairo to kabul are bracing themselves. although the streets of kabul were closed, the embassies are

on high alert. the threat is coming directly from al qaeda based in yemen, a terror group that has gotten stronger in recent years. >> it's more dangerous because now we have 2.0 or 3.0 which is widely dispersed. >> reporter: meanwhile the department of homeland security is asking for tighter screening of overseas flight. fresh debate about the nsa's surveillance officials say tipped them off about this latest threat. >> it is scary. al qaeda is on the rise in this part of the world. the nsa program has proven its worth yet again. >> you have to be very careful about how much you represent that any particular program has contributed to our security. >> reporter: kristen welker, nbc news, washington. alex rodriguez may be banned from baseball on the very day he returns to the naj ors. at high noon today the mlb is expected to ban a-rod through

the 2014 season for alleged connections to a florida clinic that administered performance-enhancing drugs. joe girardi confirmed a-rod will play his first game of the season tonight at the chicago white sox. jay gray has more on the mlb announcement. >> reporter: we expect the announcement around noon. a-rod not the only player involved here. we expect 12 to 14 major leaguers will receive suspensions. most of those 50-game suspensions which will have them banned for the rest of the season. for a-rod it looks like more than 200 games, through the 2014 season, they say because of evidence that shows he used performance-enhancing drugs for at least three seasons and then tried to interfere with the investigation into biogenesis, that anti-aging clinic that is allegedly provided these major league players with the

performance-enhancing drugs. a-rod has said he will continue to fight any suspension and that he will join the team in chicago and play tonight during an appeal. it looks like that, in fact, will be the case. it looks like major league baseball will allow him to play while he appeals this suspension. that appeal could take several months. that is the latest live here outside of a quiet yankee stadium as the mlb gets ready to break their silence on the suspensions, veronica, back to you. >> jay, we'll be watching, thank you. turning to los angeles where a man is facing a murder charge after a horrific hit-and-run. a warning, this video is graphic. it happened saturday night on the popular venice beach boardwalk. it was all caught on tape. you can see the moment when a car drives straight into a crowd of pedestrians. one of those people, and italian woman on her honeymoon was killed. nearly a dozen others were injured. >> there was people everywhere, blood everywhere. there was scattered stuff. it was horrible. it was the ugliest thing i've

ever seen. >> the damaged vehicle was later found abandoned and the suspect, nathan campbell, was arrested. he's being held on $1 million bail after fleaing the seen. no motive is known. closing arguments begin in the trial of james whitey bulger. each side has up to 3:15 to lay out its case. he's charged with his role in 19 murders and is also facing charges related to racketeering, money lawn during and weapons. bulger spent 16 years on the run and was one of the fbi's most wanted until his capture in california in 2011. the 83-year-old declined to take the stand friday, calling his trial a sham. he told the judge, quote, do what you want with me. jury deliberations are expected to begin on tuesday. the search for a young snow border in oregon takes a tragic turn. res curing returned the body of

25-year-old collin becowski on mount hood. he was traveling with a group of friends saturday when an ice tunnel collapsed. his friends tried to dig him out. they couldn't break through the ice and snow described as as think as concrete. here is your first look of scrambled politics t. gloves are off in kentucky. 15 months before the midterm elections, mitch mcconnell and allison lunder man grimes are already facing off. the candidates pulled no punches at the 133rd fancy farm political forum. >> kentucky's voice is often the voice of opposition to the obama agenda. and i'm proud of that. >> if the doctors told senator mcconnell that he had a kidney stone, he'd refuse to pass it!

>> it was a quiet birthday for president sunday. mr. obama celebrated with a seven-hour golf party at camp david. the winners flew back to the white house on marine one and the losers took vans. vice president biden will be in new hampshire today attend ag fund-raiser for governor maggie hasan hosted by president obama's biggest supporter jim deemers who over the weekend endorsed hillary clinton. maryland governor martin o'malley admits he's laying the fraechl work for the 2016 presidential run. meanwhile, on the republican side, a failed 2012 candidate says he might be willing to give it another shot. >> i'm open to looking at a presidential race in 2016. got a little ways, we have elections in 2014. the blame game over failed gun control took an interesting turn over the weekend.

vermont senator patrick leahy says tv ads by mayor michael bloomberg turned people off to new reforms. that's going to do it for your morning dish of scrambled politics. heavy rain in central kansas caused widespread flashed flooding. an assisted living facility and hundreds of other residents had been evacuated. a flash flood warning sish used through monday morning. now for a look another the weather, here is nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer. all that water, is it going to continue? >> they're going to get more rain. the flash flood warnings are in effect for today. it only takes two feet of water to sweep a car away. that's why these warnings are issued to remind people don't drive into those, what look like puddles because they could be much deeper than you expect. back through kansas we're seeing more rain, also southern missouri and arkansas. minneapolis seeing torrential downpours with those thunderstorms moving into northeastern iowa. we are looking at the threat of perhaps up to three inches of rain in minneapolis and down

across southeastern kansas, southern missouri and northern arkansas, an area that does not need anymore rain. they could end up with another two inches of rain. because of that there are still flash flood warnings and regular warnings up and down the mississippi river because of the potential for more flooding. also the threat of severe storms from southeastern montana into parts of kansas where we could end up with large hail and damaging winds. a few tornadoes are possible but they should be brief. this is most likely later this afternoon and into this evening. the plains really do not need anymore rain right now. >> absolutely. it could be a busy weather day. straight ahead, the fbi let informants commit over 5600 crimes. powerball is over $400 million. a frightening report of what dirty car sellers are doing that only a trusted mechanic can save you from. "first look" is back in three. right now, 7 years of music is being streamed.

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welcome back.

here are stories making news this morning. iran's new president ha want any was officially sworn in sunday, marking the end of the controversial presidency of mahmoud ahmadinejad. he says he plans to respectfully engage to the west but vowed support to syria's embattled leader. johnny manziel is under investigation for potentially profiting for autographs and signing memorabilia. ncaa athletes are prohibited for accepting money for sale of aa product for service meaning his eligibility to play could be in jeopardy. on sunday 4-year-old bobby tufts was re-elected as the mayor of dorsett, minnesota, population 28. according to "usa today" fbi informants were allowed to break a law over 5600 times in 2011. agents reportedly allowed their criminal informants to buy and

sell drugs, plot robberies and bribe government officials. eight months in to the 113th congress and the house has passed just 22 bills. that is the smallest number of bills passed on record. jeopardy game show host alex trebek is drawing outrage after a 12-year-old's typo in emancipation proclamation didn't cost him the game but lost $3,000. adult contestants are really subjected to his misspelling ruling. the highly anticipated superman/batman film which feature a middle aged cape crusader, josh bri on, ryan cos going, max martini and matthew good are under consideration. we turn to cnbc's bertha coombs for a business report.

>> it was two years ago standard & poor's cut the u.s.'s aaa rating after congress failed to raise the debt ceiling. stocks plunged, two years later the markets have more than recovered to record levels with the dow up 45%. jetblue goes upscale. the "wall street journal" reports the low cost carrier will unveil premium seats today in the front of the cabin that fold down to flatbeds. jetblue won't say how much the seats will cost but they will likely start on flights between new york, l.a. and san francisco starting next spring. the cbs time warner cable blackout enters its fourth day with no end in site to their dispute over programming fees. both companies at this point can't even agree as to whether they're still talking. no fun for fans who wanted to watch tiger woods this weekend. no fun for folks who wanted to see "dexter," on and on and on.

>> thanks, bertha. in other news hsbc is reportedly closing the bank accounts of over 40 different embassies and consulates. they have been trying to clean up a tarnished image after record fines for handling assets of iran, libya and drug car tells from mexico. car fax is out with a new study that shows hundreds of thousands of hurricane sandy flood-damaged cars are back on the road. the report says unscrupulous sellers are cleaning up the vehicles for resale. although they look good, only a trusted mechanic can tell if the car is worth dieing. lottery dreamers, listen up. powerball is now at 400 billion buck. jackpot is the third largest jackpot in history. the next drawing is wednesday. mark your calendars. the nfl is back and the rest of your sports highlights with richard lui. that's next. like taking a first.

and then another. and another. and if you do it. and your friends do it. and their friends do it... soon we'll be walking our way to awareness, support and an end to alzheimer's disease. and that? that would be big. grab your friends and family and start a team today. register at alz.org trust your instincts to make the call. to treat my low testosterone, my doctor and i went with axiron, the only underarm low t treatment. axiron can restore t levels to normal in about 2 weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications.

serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. ask your doctor about the only underarm low t treatment, axiron. peoi go to angie's listt for all kinds of reasons. to gauge whether or not the projects will be done

in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. sports from my colleague richard lui. happy monday, richard. good morning. football is back. cowboys and kol fins in the preseason hall of fame game. play of the game, it was all about arithmetic. what does one times 75 equal? well, a cowboys interception by holliman right there and 75 straight by miami here, they win 24-20. next preseason game this thursday.

he was the nfl's funny man. art donovan known for his hilarious stories was a feisty defensive tackle. he helped the colts before there were super bowls get world chips in 1958 and 1959. the baltimore teddy bear and hall of famer art donovan passing away at 89. tiger not in a major but does win at the bridgestone invitational. evidently a fan, a cookie squirrel. he goes left, then he sees tiger, and then he goes right. we slowed it down for you. there's tiger. maybe he's not fan. to the pocono 400, david gilliland's car hits the wall and catches fire. later danika patrick triggers a four car bender. jeff burton caught in the crash. kasey kahne at the end getting the checkered flag. the dodgers are unbeatable, veronica on the road. you probably like that. a franchise record 14 straight

after taking the cubs 1-0. this latest could have cost him the world series. hanley ramirez sacrificing body over the railing with the out. their key hitter left the game with an injured shoulder. at the world swimming championships, missy franklin wins her fifth gold med del. the men less successful. watch as kevin cortes cost them a gold with the false start. the medley teammate, ryan lochte not happy, but he walks away with three golds in spain. he has something to carry home. >> not bad. sign this kid up. a ball girl hands this foul ball to a young pirates fan. there he goes -- nope. he throws it back. the ball girl, later gives it back to him. he keeps it. so he does understand the value of the ball at the end. >> thanks, richard. we'll see you soon. time to dig a little deeper into some of our top political

stories. joining me on the phone is lynn sweet, washington bureau chief for the "chicago sun times." lynn, good morning. >> good morning. >> we have to talk about this number. 22, the smallest number of bills to ever pass in the history of the house of representatives. lynn, who is to blame? what needs to happen in order to get some work done? >> in this case, republicans control the house and they control who gets the floor. what has to happen is that until there's another election and something may change is that the house republican leaders follow this rule that they won't vote on anything unless they have a majority of the majority. it's also known as the hatchet rule. that means a lot of measures cannot pass, won't even get called. also, a bit of a view from the leadership that their job isn't necessarily the passed bills, but to stop democrats from passing their agenda and not

trying to forge compromise. >> that seems to be the word. we're looking forward to 2014. right now political watchers keeping a close eye on virginia's race for governor. in particular, all the hillary fans out there who see terry mcauliffe's campaign as a precursor for her possible 2016 run for the white house. how much stock, lynn, should we be putting into this? >> i don't put much into this. hillary clinton doesn't need a farm team in virginia or new york with the mayor's race there or anyplace place else. yes, a lot of people who are donors to hillary clinton are helping terry mcauliffe. they've known each other for years, same with staff who worked in hillary's campaigns. the notion she needs virginia to have some kind of campaign in waiting is just silly. she's got a great potential national network without a virginia race. all right, lynn sweet with the "chicago sun times." lynn, thanks so much. >> thank you. coming up next, richard lui.

dylan dreyer will be here for first buzz. we'll tell you what cause our eye today. bacon?! gotta get that bacon! bacon?! bacooon! smokey bacon, meaty bacon, tasty bacon! bacon? ohh la laa. i say, is that bacon? oh! good heavens! bacon! bacon! who wants a beggin' strip?? me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs!! mmm mmm mmm mmm mmmm it's beggin! mmm i love you... (announcer) beggin' strips...made with real bacon. there's no time like beggin' time! because all these whole grains aren't healthy unless you actually eat them ♪ multigrain cheerios. also available in delicious peanut butter.

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another change-up and it's 2-1. >> oh, come on. all that working out and you can't open a water bottle? sir, i think you've got the wrong workout program. >> are you kidding? he's still after it. >> he ought to ask for help. >> i'd love one of the ladies -- >> wow, in his defense i think it was a trick bottle. >> candid camera. >> it's always the second person that opens it that opens it with

no problem because he loosened it. >> he gave it to the kid. the kid cracked it open for him. >> remind me never to go to a mets game just in case you're on camera. >> dylan dreyer has something about football. >> a data research company researched 470,000 plays of football games to see if weather was ever a factor in the games going back to 2002. they found out that 93% of bad weather games will see a fumble. the whole morale, they found out that weather does not affect the outcome of a game. it after sfekts a couple of plays, but doesn't affect the outcome. >> it hurts both sides equally. i've got horrible video to show you. this is some event -- you have to see this. this guy is trying to demonstrate tae kwon do. goes, twice. he asks for two people to come over to hold the board.

later -- he breaks it right here. the chip hits a kid. it goes on and on and on. >> it is a comedy by itself. >> i'm veronica de la cruz. stay tuned because "way too early" starts right now. there's been an awful lot of chatter out there, chatter means conversation among terrorists about the planning that's going on, very reminiscent of what we saw pre 9/11. references to 9/11. startling words about the threat that has american embassies still closed this morning. monday is a-rod day. baseball about to suspend the yankee slugger as he prepares to play tonight. we have one of the best voices in sports -- not my voice, someone else's -- to let us know what the heck is going on. yet another reason you need

to wise up and finally throw out those cds. put them in a box and store them in the baseball right next to the cassettes. this is "way too early." but the eight tracks are all gone. we haven't had those in a long time. i'm brian shactman. sorry about the voice. it's monday, august 5th. i can assure you i feel absolutely fine. i want to start the day with news that the 19 u.s. embassies will remain shuttered through next saturday. top u.s. lawmakers and intelligence officials are warning that the terrorist chatter is out there, as you just heard, reminiscent of the days before 9/11. strong talk. embassies spread across the middle east and africa closed over the weekend with fears of one large attack or a series of coordinated ones on u.s. diplomatic installations. security officials say the threat originates from al qaeda base