morning. look" -- the u.s. calls out russia for violating a landmark arms control treaty as that country faces a new round of tough sanctions. the cdc issues a health alert to u.s. doctors about the deadly ebola virus. the deadly infection only a plane ride away. more severe weather across the country including a freak tornado in new england. plus, gas station thieves mess with the wrong clerk. peyton manning shows off his moves at training camp. and rob lowe may be just a little too excited about "shark week." good morning to you. thanks for being with us. i'm frances rivera. once again it is vladimir putin versus the world. the u.s. is calling out russia over a 1987 nuclear missile treaty. the u.s. claims it broke it as

early as 2008 and most recently in 2011 after conducting a cruise missile test. president obama sent putin a letter monday warning him. moscow denies any wrongdoing. and with no signs of russia backing off, rebels in ukraine, a new penalty, tougher sanctions. the u.s. and the european union agreeing to target russia's financial and military sectors harder. now to the middle east. this morning a new warning and new violence. overnight fresh israeli airstrikes lit up the sky over gaza. on the ground reports that tanks hit fuel lines near a power station. hopes for a cease-fire have all but disintegrated. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu warning the conflict could be long. it came after rockets hit hamas's tv and radio station. the tv part was still able to broadcast but the radio went silent. and at a refugee camp, more

bloodshed after a missile strike. palestinians blaming israel. ten people including eight children were killed. wasting no time, hamas hit back, firing rockets into israel. here's the message from the u.n. >> in the name of humanity, the violence must stop. >> the conflict has killed over 1,000 palestinians and more than 40 israelis. health care officials across the country are monitoring the ebola outbreak in africa this morning. so far the deadly virus has killed more than 650 people in west africa. two americans have tested positive for ebola and are being treated in liberia right now. officials say the risk of the virus spreading to the united states is remote, but the cdc is urging vigilance for travelers returning from affected areas. i'm joined now by nbc's tracie potts in washington, d.c. tracie, good morning, and how concerned should americans be? >> reporter: if you haven't traveled to west africa and you have no contact with anyone who has, you probably don't need to be so concerned. but the u.s. is still watching

this very closely. the ebola outbreak that started in west africa has left two american health workers in liberia fighting for their lives. liberia quickly shut its borders, but the virus spread to neighboring countries. >> this outbreak highlights the need for us to enhance our efforts around global health security everywhere in the world. >> reporter: despite airport screenings in west africa, the cdc and state department are concerned. the next outbreak could be just one flight away. >> we're taking every precaution, of course, as would be expected. >> reporter: that includes providing u.s. missions with protective equipment and supplies. ebola is an extremely deadly disease. typically only one in ten survive. in this outbreak so far, it's four in ten. it may take up to three weeks for symptoms to appear. health workers are at risk. >> they're working 10, 15, even

20-hour days. and in those conditions, it is possible for someone to slip up and become infected. >> reporter: 650 people in guinea, liberia and sierra leone have died. monday saw its first victim. u.s. officials are trying to make sure this deadly virus doesn't cross the atlantic. now, even though the u.s. is concerned and they're watching this, so far no travel warnings from the state department. there is a level two alert issued by the cdc. what that means is if you're an american and you're already in west africa, they urge you to be careful and avoid contact with anyone who either has had or may be infected by this virus. frances? >> tracie potts for us out of washington, d.c., thank you. well, you hate those long lines at the airport? you're not alone. the tsa is totalling prizes for the best for shortening those unbearable security checkpoints, but it's not as easy as you may think.

entries must consider peak hours, flight schedules and staff hours and don't forget special lines for pre-approved travelers. submissions must be in by august 15th. the clippers are one step closer to having a new owner. a judge ruled in favor of co-owner shelly sterling, stating that she was well within her rights to sell the team to former microsoft ceo steve ballmer back in may. the whopping $2 billion deal was quickly contested by her estranged husband, donald sterling. so is this the last we'll hear from him? nbc's curt gregory has more. >> reporter: a victorious shelly sterling emerged from the courtroom after a judge tentatively ruled that she can now move ahead with her plans to sell the los angeles clippers. >> this is going to be a good thing for the city, for the league, for my family, for all of us. and i just want to thank you all. >> reporter: the ruling came shortly after closing arguments wrapped up in the trial in which donald sterling and his

estranged wife went head to head in a battle for control of the team. but in the end, judge michael lavonis sided with shelly sterling, saying they are testimony was more credible. he also found that shelly acted appropriately when she had her husband, donald, removed from the family's trust on the grounds that he was mentally incapacitated. the ruling now clears the way for shelly to implement her agreement to sell the clippers to former microsoft ceo steve ballmer for a record $2 billion, despite any ongoing attempts for an appeal. >> he didn't see this as the final battleground. so this is, you know, one stage of a long war. this is one battle. we had hoped for a different result, but this is not the end. >> reporter: although sterling has been banned for life from the nba, he has promised to continue the fight. curt gregory, nbc news. >> donald sterling still has two

court cases pending, an antitrust case and a new lawsuit filed against the nba for damages. now let's get to the action and sports from the one and only richard lui. richard, good morning. >> good tuesday to you, frances. let's talk about derek jeter reaching another milestone. he hit three against texas to reach 3,420 career hits. he's now seventh on baseball's all-time list. i guess you're number eight, right? well, he passed hall of famer carl yastrzemski. this was not enough. the yankees lose to texas last night, 4-2. ouch. toronto destroys boston, meanwhile, including this out of the park homer. it potholes a boston vehicle's windshield. when you finish the game, you don't want to see that. melky cabrera's green monster bomb, symbolic of toronto's 14-1 armageddon win over boston there. i'm so excited, i just can't hide it. >> you're supposed to sing that, richard. >> i can't sing that. and he can't dance, i can't sing. yeah, the song there that

broncos' peyton manning is dancing to, jigging to there, is "rocky top." that is the unofficial fight song, as you might know, for his alma mater, university of tennessee. number 83, wes welker, joining in with him. i'm trying to figure out what the dance is. i can't figure it out. dougie? no? team usa or bust. chicago's derrick rose wants it bad. coming off the 2011 mvp's second severe injury in three years. coaches are saying here he looked really good at team usa basketball camp in vegas. >> i've still got to keep proving myself and doing everything that the coaching staff want me to do, and hopefully i'll be on that team. >> the l.a. clippers' blake griffin withdrew from camp to nurse a small back fracture from the playoffs. he'll miss the opportunity to play in the fiba world cup. swimmer ryan lochte showing off his family-sized meal plan. here it is for you. he says streamlining in

preparation for my 10,000 calories. what does he got there? like four pounds of chicken? >> mac and cheese. >> got a whole tray of mac and cheese. he's got asparagus to feed a family of nine. i'm going to jump. no, i'm not. grab handrail, can't hold on. fall on the platform below. that's what happened right there. from more than 20 feet, she falls on the platform, then into the pool. she is squealing all the way down, as you can probably imagine. second thoughts there. at the end, guess what her injury was? just a hurt finger. >> i don't buy that. look at her belly hit that. >> no she's got evidently a very durable belly. >> i guess so, apparently. just a finger. >> what's a durable belly? >> richard, thank you very much. some wild weather is still causing havoc throughout the country. check out this dramatic cell phone footage of a tornado that touched down near denver international airport monday. it sent debris flying. airport passengers were told to take shelter as a precaution. a separate video captured another twister which officials say produced no damage or injuries.

at least three tornadoes were reported in the area. meanwhile, some 2,000 miles away near boston, a tornado, rare for the northeast, ripped off the roofs of homes and businesses and uprooted trees. no serious injuries were reported despite what all of that looks like, nbc meteorologist bill karins is here. bill, i lived in massachusetts, and boston, in fact, for many years. and i can't remember a tornado like that. i lived in oklahoma city. >> and that's near the coast. revere is only, what, five or ten miles north of downtown boston. they have never had a tornado in that county going back to 1950. a very rare event. definitely a rare weather pattern throughout july. it doesn't feel like july. it's not often we get severe weather like this in coastal areas of new england. we had that one tornado yesterday. a lot of wind damage reports up there also for massachusetts, new hampshire and maine. that storm system is gone. and we were left with partly cloudy skies. actually a nice cool breeze back behind that hot, humid air mass. so today's forecast is going to

be a gorgeous tuesday from the i-95 corridor, very unusual to have this low humidity and temperatures like this. the buffalo area could see some showers. also watch out for flash flooding from colorado to new mexico. still watching the tropics. we're heading into a busy season. august, september, october, our peak months. and we should have a tropical depression by the end of the day. this one could threaten puerto rico. that would be by sunday. it does look to avoid the east coast at this point. maybe parallel the east coast in between the east coast and bermuda. maybe waves and stuff like that next week to deal with. but as of now in the u.s., we're looking okay. >> yeah, not so bad headed into august and no major sweltering weather. >> there's no heat. from the east of the rockies, it's going to go down as one of the coolest summers we've ever seen. still ahead, president obama reveals his boyhood crush. plus, why a pair of robbery suspects probably regretted hitting up this texas gas station. you're watching "first look" on

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getting down to business this morning, southwest airlines is facing a potential huge government fine for failing to keep the faa informed about its plans for repairing cracks on the skin of boeing 737 jetliners. the faa is proposing $12 million in civil penalties, one of its biggest fines ever but says the safety of southwest planes was not an issue. the airlines has 30 days to respond. and a new study finds more than one-third of americans have debts and unpaid bills that have been reported to collection agencies. the study found the problem is most prevalent in hawaii and southern states such as alabama, florida and north carolina. debt delinquencies can hurt your credit and can even affect employers' hiring decisions. and some other stories making news this morning. new concerns about u.s. weapons falling into terrorists' hands. the report is from the special inspector general for afghanistan reconstruction. auditors analyzed the status of nearly 750,000 provided weapons,

mostly small arms. and the result, significant problems with recordkeeping and accountability. a little crush back in the day. that's what the president revealed about singer linda ronstadt when placing a medal of arts around her neck yesterday. it also included jeffrey katzenberg and public host radio host diane reem. and a semi-pro fighter fends off robbers. his coworker was returning from an atm when he got jumped. watch the powerhouse fend off the attackers. just ahead, a new bizarre rob ford video. and a stat cannenate candids out the lights. "scrambled politics" is next. fill their bowl with the meaty tastes they're looking for, with friskies grillers.

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and finally, our old pal, toronto mayor rob ford -- he's, of course, running for re-election. so when he and his brother found a seesaw yesterday, well, there was only one thing that they could do. >> oh. >> oh. oh, my god, there are two of them! >> can one get any higher than the other? who knows? time for your first look at "scrambled politics." senator john mccain is being called the enemy by isil. mccain responded in a statement

saying "i was proud to be sanctioned by vladimir putin earlier this year, but to be targeted by isil as the enemy and crusader is a true honor." this new ad is launching in three key states and washington, d.c. it features a man trying to break into his ex-wife's home with a gun. the ad asked viewers to urge their senators to support a bill that would ban convicted stalkers from possessing fire m firearms. a new poll shows majority of florida voters support legalizing medical marijuana. according to the poll, 88% of voters would allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. only 10% disapprove. florida voters will decide whether to legalize medical marijuana this november. a west virginia democrat is targeting president obama in a new campaign ad. senate hopeful natalie tenant is promoting coal jobs. in the ad she asks, where do they think their electricity comes from? >> i'll make sure president obama gets the message.

and that is your morning dish of "scrambled politics." let's delve more into politics. i'm joined by political analyst ellis hanigan. good morning. good tuesday to you. >> i hope you're not going to turn the lights out here. >> no, we're not going to do that. but i will ask you if we can delve into the mind of vladimir putin as we're getting more intense in this. the president sending him a letter, stern warning, after all the strikes that we've seen, violating the '87 missile treaty, supporting rebels with a missile launch that shot down mh17 and then shooting rockets into eastern ukraine. so if we're going to be in that head, in that noggin, what is the end game for him, and how can western leaders actually get him to back down from this? >> you want me to climb into put putin's head? >> as close as we can get. >> a couple of quick thoughts. first of all, he loves the fact that we're talking about him. nobody runs around without a

shirt as much as vladimir does and not want attention. so key to understanding his psychology is recognizing that he and his nation, he wants to have be at the center of attention. he grew up in the soviet union. this big empire, right? and now he's just got this little country. so he spends all daydreaming of past glory and how he's going to get it back. that's what all this is about. all of this. >> the eu and pushing and shoving, and what's he doing? doing a little bit of that, saying not fazing me? >> he's saying bring back the soviet union days. remember superpower. truly i do think, you can look at each one of these things, what's going on in ukraine, this new fight over this missile testing, all of it really is some version of bringing back the glory days. >> the glory days in his world. our clock is ticking. also the countdown clock is ticking for congress and a recess here. we've got the v.a. overhaul. we've got immigration, border crisis here.

so what can realistically get done in these last four days very quickly? >> the v.a. the v.a. and nothing else. don't hold your breath on immigration. but that deal on the v.a., republicans and democrats deciding we've got to get those guys some medical care. hey, give them some credit when it's due. >> eric cantor stepping down. i wish we could talk more about sarah palin and her channel you'd pay 10 bucks to watch. >> if things fail here, we've got a future. >> i don't know if people would shell out 10 bucks a month for her or for us. >> good to see you. >> thank you. "first buzz" is just ahead including a display of martial arts mastery. plus rob lowe's apparent love affair with "shark week." that's next. helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache.

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time to get the gang together for "first buzz." all the talkers that we love out there and we'll start with this. every year "shark week" seems to be a bigger and bigger deal. >> it's like a month now. >> tomorrow night. >> it starts august 10th. >> "today" show has "shark week." >> all the promos are running. there's something so ridiculous and awesome about this one. of course i want to see rob lowe. but look at this. he's throwing them -- >> rose petals? >> chum. >> then you've got those guys coming out here. >> what's the girl doing, the mermaid? >> he is out of shape. look at him. >> who got that role? that should be you. >> that has nothing to do with "shark week." he's not on any program. he's just rob lowe being rob lowe for a promo, and i love it! >> he's kind of flabby. >> does rob lowe know about that? >> well, the 13-year-old in me loves "st. elmo's fire." so what do we got here?

we talked about a fox. >> just a cute video, a rescue video. >> a rescue video. >> we like a little rescue video. this is over in britain in a cricket net, of all things. it was in a backyard. and a fox gets caught in it. the guy comes in. he actually narrates the whole thing. it's like 3:30 long. and the mom and the dad and the fox were just off the property. and they actually waited for the little baby fox. he got out and he was rescued safely. >> weren't they scared of getting rabies? >> foxes, you don't really see them like that. >> what does the fox say, guys is this. >> i knew that was coming. >> no, you didn't. all right. i have been on vacation. >> he's all giddy. >> i want some of what she's having. >> there's a new karate kid in town. >> so how hard are your heads? watch this. she's called the karate girl. >> not even a scratch. >> look at that, though. she's got a lot of talents here. i think there's a little cushion on the top of those bricks.

crushed her head with. >> how can you break bricks and then not reach the plate? >> she's been in several movies. >> that does it for us. this is "first look" on msnbc. "way too early" starts now. make no mistake, when the people of israel are rushing the bomb shelters, when innocent israeli and palestinian teenagers are abducted and murdered, when hundreds of innocent civilians have lost their lives, i will and we will make no apologies for our engagement. >> long before this recent deadly chaos, secretary kerry had been invested in seeding peace against gaza and israel. why is he facing criticism? stephen a. smith for his controversial comments which spent the ladies of "the view" especially whoopi to a very provocative place.

and we have been glued to the ups and downs of toronto mayor rob ford. wait till you see what i saw, the ford brothers at play. this is "way too early." >> whoo! built those seesaws tough up north. good morning, everybody, i'm thomas roberts. it is tuesday, july 29th. welcome to the show that still has a hard time telling the ford brothers apart now that rob is slimming down. he looks a little better. we'll show you that video later today. we begin in the middle east where the crisis between israel and hamas is now in its fourth week, and the hopes for a resolution, that appears to be dwindling. overnight airstrikes lit up the sky in the center of gaza city as israel hit key hamas locations. the targets including hamas's tv station and the home of one of the group's top leaders. now, the strikes came as israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu delivered a national