indictment run for president? but the basic details of this case have been misconstrued in the national press over and over. i think we're going the keep debunking it night after night. now time for "the last word wit stops. "first look" is up next. good wednesday morning. right now on "first look" -- americans recruited for isis, but president obama vows to stamp out this terror group. >> as commander in chief, the security of the american people is my highest priority, and that's why with the brutal terrorist group isil advancing in iraq, i have authorized targeted strikes to protect our diplomats and military advisers who are there. storms packing 60-mile-per-hour winds hitting the midwest and flooding causing some serious damage as well. plus, the details behind a terrible gun range accident. the fight for personal space when sitting in coach. and even superman and lois lane help als raise almost $90 million. good morning to you. thanks for being with us.

i'm frances rivera. we start with the hunt for isis that intensifies. the pentagon increasing spy flights over syria. drones looking for isis soldiers, weapons and training camps. on the political front, the president mobilizing a coalition of allies in case air strikes are needed. >> it's clear by word and action that the president, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, the secretary of defense thinks we need to engage militarily, but they ought to describe what the military mission is and what we would hope to achieve. >> it comes as reports an american with an all-american name died fighting for isis. douglas macarthur-mccain. and he's not alone. the fbi says since june, 100 americans have joined isis inside syria. nbc's tracie potts is live in washington for us. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, frances. as you said, we've got americans on both sides of this, and now new overnight, an interview with a relative of that american who was killed, that american who the government says was fighting with isis militants.

douglas macarthur-mccain is the first american killed while fighting with the jihadist group, isis. his cousin insists mccain was not a terrorist. >> because my cousin wouldn't support a terrorist group like that, any group like that, you know? he's a very humble, caring man. >> reporter: mccain grew up in chicago and minnesota. he was arrested nine times and converted to islam. he even tweeted about joining isis overseas. syrian rebels backed by the u.s. killed him last weekend. now military surveillance planes are flying over iraq trying to identify which isis member beheaded american journalist james foley. >> i'm afraid just a preview of what they would do to other americans. >> reporter: there was a vigil last night at marquette university. foley was an alum. >> please, jimmy, just promise me you'll wait for us in heaven. >> reporter: president obama told the american legion tuesday foley's death won't be forgotten. >> to anyone who harms our

people, it's simple, american does not forget, our reach is long, we are patient, justice will be done. >> reporter: experts think the u.s. may soon expand its surveillance over syria. >> they see real and imminent threats, and to stand back and not strike will really be too dangerous a risk to take. >> reporter: but democrats and republicans say the president may need to get permission from congress first. >> congress should weigh in. congress should be a part of this. >> reporter: now, isis, we are told as of this morning, is also holding an american aid worker, a woman, and they've been holding her since last year, but the government and her family don't want her identified, because of course, frances, they're very concerned about her safety. >> and scared to think these terrorists could be among us. tracie potts for us in washington, d.c. thank you. this morning, an al qaeda captive is back on u.s. soil. these are brand new photos of american writer and journalist peter theo curtis. he flew from israel to new jersey, then boston on tuesday.

curtis was taken by militants inside syria in 2012. he was finally let go sunday. qatar helped win his release but says a ransom was not paid. it's unclear whether massive waves brought on by hurricane marie are responsible for the death of a male surfer in malibu. you see big waves and high winds on the northern pacific coast of mexico, where hurricane marie is wreaking havoc. she's expected to weaken slightly. forecasters say this could create one of the highest tides in years. swells from hurricane marie at beaches like newport could be as high as 25 feet over the next few days. we are seeing chilling, new video this morning showing the moments before a 9-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed her shooting instructor earlier this week in arizona. the mojave county sheriff's department released this part of a longer video. it shows the instructor at a shooting range, demonstrating how to pull the trigger of an automatic uzi and then handing the weapon over to the girl. officials say the instructor was accidentally shot in the head

when the girl pulled the trigger on the uzi and the recoil sent the gun over her head. the 39-year-old instructor was air-lifted to the hospital where he died of his injuries. an autopsy will be performed. there is peace in the middle east, for now. israel and hamas agreeing to an open-ended cease-fire. egypt helped broker the deal. the truce eases border limits in gaza, but it doesn't call for disarming hamas just yet. fighting raged right up until the last minute. israeli air strikes hit several high-rise buildings tuesday. the 50-day conflict left more than 2,000 people dead, mostly palestinians. turning now to sports this wednesday morning and a stunning upset at the u.s. open. 15-year-old katherine ceci bellis upset dominica celeb cova of slovakia, becoming the youngest american to win a u.s. open match in 20 years. she is ranked 1,208th in the world. she earned a wild spot in the open after winning the girls'

18s nationals. meanwhile, serena williams' bid for a third consecutive title began with 18-year-old taylor townsend and a 6-3, 6-1 victory. >> oh! >> did you catch it? that's it right there, another reason he's number two in the world. roger federer with an incredible shot between the legs, behind the back. and even this guy, you know him, his irness, michael jordan, was impressed. federer won in straight sets. the cleveland cavaliers introduced power forward kevin love after a three-team trade with minnesota and philly was finalized on sunday. the people of minnesota met their newest players from the trade, including number one overall draft pick andrew wiggins. josh shaw's heroic story of spring both ankles rescuing his nephew from a swimming pool is now being questioned. usc is investigating the story after the school received several calls questioning the authenticity. and this may be the candidate for the cutest selfie

ever. saints quarterback drew brees posing with his newborn baby girl. drew brees fans, even more so with his daughter. extreme weather brought heavy rain, thunder and lightning to the denver area. the deluge forced this manhole cover to just flip its lid. meanwhile, two drivers -- i'm sorry, two denver men were struck by lightning while sitting under a tree, one critically injured. and in southern michigan, storms packing 60-mile-per-hour winds downed trees and left thousands in the dark. flooding closed parts of some detroit area expressways. nbc meteorologist bill karins is here to tell us what's in store today and if things are going to calm down a little bit. >> more storms, but summer, you know? hot, humid, we get the afternoon storms. some of you get flash flooding. and of course, lightning's always dangerous. we actually had three kids struck in a pool by lightning in texas yesterday, too. thankfully, they did survive. rain this morning in new mexico, north texas, heading up into kansas and then colorado. that's kind of the stormy area. we have very humid conditions, and it feels gross out there

this morning along the gulf coast from new orleans to houston. little rock to memphis. still very humid. st. louis all the way up into areas around kansas city. and now some of that humidity's starting to bleed a little bit to the east ahead of this cold front. today will be one of the most hottest, humidest days that we've seen in the mid-atlantic this summer. we haven't had a lot of them. we'll give you the three hs today around d.c., hazy, hot and humid. but we will see thunderstorms and a cold front cooling us off later on tonight. so, it's really a one-day event. today, 92 in d.c., 90 in new york city. in central park, new york, we've only had one 90-degree day all summer long, so this could be the second one. so, we haven't had a lot of heat. >> no. >> and this is probably about it. we're late august. we don't usually get a lot of hot weather heading to the mid-atlantic in september, so. >> yeah, one of those sticky, icky summer days. >> if you like it, this is it. bottle it up. >> it's the last one. don't complain. thanks, bill. denying fellow air travelers the right to recline. and an accident results in one

messy foam fest for some very expensive military aircraft, next.

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welcome back. a huge day for stocks as the s&p 500 reached another milestone, up just two points, but closing above the 2,000 mark for the first time ever. but could things change quickly if the fed acts too slowly in raising interest rates, which could cause inflation? the als ice bucket challenge has raised almost $90 million in donations. it's a big deal, sinceless year it raised only $2.5 million in the same time period. now the story of a flight forced to land because two passengers were squabbling over personal space. it started with a seat-blocking device, preventing one passenger from reclining their seat. we get a report from nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: for two passengers on united flight 1462 from newark to denver, a spat over 5 inches of extra space was all it took to force an emergency landing in chicago, and it all

began with a $22 gadget called the knee defender. >> keeps people from reclining -- >> reporter: specially designed for coach class fliers. officials say a man in economy plus was using the device, which attaches to the tray table, to stop the woman in front of him from reclining her seat, try as she might. >> as the woman put her seat back into the guy and he shoved it forward and she threw her drink on him. >> reporter: halfway through the flight, the pilot landed the plane, the two passengers escorted off by police. but if you've flown coach in the past decade, where personal space really does come at a premium -- i mean, you paid for the seat, which is, hopefully, in the air and not on a new york city street corner, but you paid for it! and you should be able to recline as far back as you want. really? oh, come on! while the faa doesn't prohibit devices like the knee defender, most airlines, including united, have banned them.

spirit airlines and allegiant air have already removed the reclining function in their seats altogether. katy tur, nbc news, new york. >> never knew they existed. now we certainly do. other stories this morning, the world health organization recommends big regulations on $3 billion industries here. we're talking about the e-cigarette industry. they say they have not been proven harmless to bystanders. they also want sales to minors banned. there are worries that big tobacco could soon dominate the enterprise. it's a key item in the irs targeting scandal, but could lois lerner's blackberry have been destroyed after the congressional investigation began? according to fox news, a senior irs lawyer says the phone was wiped in june of 2012, some time after officials say that she was summoned before congress. well, he was considered a potential running mate for mitt romney in 2012, and now bob mcdonald is wrapping up five days on a witness stand. the former virginia governor denies any special favors but acknowledged poor judgment in accepting $165,000 in gifts and

loans from a businessman. and it looks like a winter storm passed over this oklahoma national guard base, but that's not the case. that's not snow. those are suds. the foam is used to save those helicopters from fires. officials said it was accidental. and a program note for msnbc fans. take a moment to check out our "day of hope, day of action." we are looking for viewers like you to submit your ideas and action plans to highlight the issues that are most important to you. to do it, just logon to msnbc.com/globalcitizen to start your journey. as an example, reverend al sharpton, host of msnbc's highly rated "politics nation," says his hope is successfully challenging income inequality. now it's your turn. we'll be right back. his is rudy. say "hi" rudy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] i'd do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. that's why i'm so excited about these new milk-bone brushing chews. whoa, i'm not the only one. it's a brilliant new way to take care of his teeth. clinically proven as effective as brushing. ok, here you go.

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the summer of this.mmer. the summer that summers from here on will be compared to. where memories will be forged into the sand. and then hung on a wall for years to come.

get out there, with over 50,000 hotels at $150 dollars or less. expedia. find yours. time now for your hump day edition of "scrambled politics." you can call it a referendum against hate speech. john huppenthal lost his re-election bid in the primary. he made a public apology in june after anonymously posting internet messages in which he called welfare recipients lazy pigs and compared the founder of planned parenthood to nazis. as the primaries wind down and winners look ahead to the general election, politico points out the unique, albeit bizarre ways candidates went about getting those votes. take a look. >> tom cotton voted against preparing america for pandemics like ebola. >> 820,000 of our tax dollars were spent studying how monkeys

respond to unfairness and how they act while on cocaine. think about that. that's how outrageous the spending in washington has gotten. >> when i get to washington, i'll stand up to the big spenders. i'll fight to repeal obamacare, and i'll protect our gun rights. >> they are out there. vice president joe biden might be number two, but take a listen to how he tries to get in the number one spot with the oldest living female u.s. veteran after being upstaged by president obama. >> you know what this reminds me of? >> no. >> it reminds me every time i had a good-looking date, there would be some better looking guy come along, you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> yeah, i'm vice president. the president comes in and everybody drops everything, you know what i mean? and i'm, you know, but i'm the guy that loves you. [ laughter ] >> there's that laugh. was waiting for that. and yep, that is a toy monkey on speaker boehner's lap. it's part of a running joke with

his staff about how his busy schedule makes him feel like a wind-up toy. and he let these little cute visitors to his capitol hill chambers in on the joke. >> that's what i do all day. they wind me up about every 15 minutes. no, no, i've got to go to work. over in macedonia, a brawl breaks out in parliament over budget talks. one lawmaker sought medical treatment for an eye injury after this. hopefully, things don't return to blows when the congress returns next month, but you never know. it could help break the gid lock. just kidding, of course, just kidding. that's your morning dish of "scrambled politics." the morning after primary day, to break it down, ed o'keefe from washington, d.c. ed, good morning to you. >> good morning, frances. >> let's start with this primary wrap here, especially with florida, rick scott and charlie crist advance in the general election showdown here, and it's going to be expected to be one

of the nastiest, most expensive campaigns in recent history. so, break down why this is really must-watch politics when it comes to the rest of the year. >> well, i mean, the sunshine state obviously, you know, a very important one, one of the biggest facing a governors race this year. rick scott, the incumbent republican, could spend up to $100 million to try to get re-election. charlie crist, his former republican opponent, because remember, charlie crist is a former republican, could spend at least $50 million, and then all these outside groups also expected to pour some money in. nasty, obviously, because these guys are former members of the same party. they faced off before. there will be questions about, you know, charlie crist's motivations and what exactly he is. is he a republican, is he a democrat, is he just an opportunist? and then, of course, concerns about rick scott's leadership of the sunshine state. so, going to be one of the biggest, nastiest, most closely watched governors races in a year that we haven't really been talking about governors races. >> no, you'll have fun for ten weeks to come. on to isis in the wake of

the american death while fighting for them and the concern about others just like douglas macarthur mccain here and the concern with americans joining isis, since june about 100 of them. what's the concern, knowing that they're holding american passports here, they can head out and head right back on to u.s. soil with that threat. can they be arrested? how can you stop them? >> you know, i thought it was interesting. if you read through the tea leaves, if you will, in the white house statement that was issued by officials there, they pointed out that they were aware of mccain's involvement in isis. that would suggest that they're probably aware of most, if not all of the other americans who are part of this group and probably have a good sense of being able to track them as they travel back, whether that's through asia or europe into the united states. if they're detained, you know on what legal ground would they be able to do that? that's not entirely clear. but again, i should think that at this point, they're probably able to track these people, have some sense of who's over there, and if they start making their

way back, if not getting them here in the united states, possibly alerting european authorities as they make their way. we'll see, because inevitably, this very well could happen, but of course, there have been suggestions that these folks are not necessarily interested in coming back here to the united states or to europe, but to just be part of that ongoing operation over there in syria and iraq. >> but certainly scary to think that they could, you know, with the documentation, with that blue american passport, certainly come back. ed o'keefe for us from washington, d.c., thank you. >> take care. the naked showdown between chelsea handler and ellen degeneres, and we're talking about really naked here. plus, find out what the moon smells like. the answer may surprise you. and no, we're not talking about swiss cheese, blue cheese, american, any of that. icious. so now we've turned her toffee into a business. my goal was to take an idea and make it happen. i'm janet long and i formed my toffee company through legalzoom. i never really thought i would make money doing what i love. we created legalzoom to help people start their business and launch their dreams.

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leading the news in "usa today," 151 years after gettysburg, a medal of honor awarded. 22-year-old lieutenant alonzo cushing died in the battle of getingsburg. he commanded a union artillery battery that bore the brunt of the confederate assault known as pickett's charge. after a four-decade lobbying effort by his descendants, the white house announced that he'll finally receive the medal of ho honor. and on space.com, the moon smells. astronauts describe lunar aroma. >> that's weird. >> jackson smith reports -- yeah, it is weird. >> how can they smell anything in their suits? >> it's that strong. these apollo astronauts agree that lunar dust smells like spent gun powder. and some of the other stories we're following. in l.a., prosecutors build a case against a man they now call a serial killer. his spree spanned five days, and by the time he was arrested, three people and two dogs were dead with four critically injured. and more in that serial

stowaway. the woman who snuck aboard a san jose-to-l.a. flight without a ticket has been arrested again. airport personnel in phoenix recognized her loitering, which she isn't allowed to do. in light of all her attempts to sneak on planes, police are requesting a mental health evaluation. and after seven years on sister network "e!" chelsea handler is waving good-bye to her popular "chelsea lately" show. the final episode of the late-night talk show saw miley cyrus and the guy she dated, 50 cent, perform along with other numerous guest stars, some with some unresolved issues. >> what are you doing here? >> i came to ask you why i've never been on your show. >> i didn't know you wanted to be on my show! >> well, i don't necessarily want to be on your show, i'm just wondering why wouldn't you ask me to be on your show. >> because i didn't think you liked me. >> why would you think that? >> because nobody likes me! you're ellen. everybody loves you. >> it's classic chelsea. while superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, he's not faster than six ice buckets dumped on his head. he took part in the als ice

bucket challenge along with amy adams, the star of the superman movie. you haven't done the ice bucket challenge. i think it's your turn, right? i'm frances rivera and this is "first look" on msnbc. "way too early with thomas roberts" starts now. bill karins' turn. not just the united states government, but many western governments are concerned about these foreign fighters leaving their shores, going over there, getting radicalized, trained, and then coming back. >> new details about the american jihadist killed while fighting in syria. however, his family in the states claims he was not a terrorist. have it your way. burger king defending its purchase of a canadian company, but if it's not about avoiding big u.s. taxes, then what's it all about? and everywhere you look, everywhere you go today, all you will hear about is the potential return of the classic sitcom "full house." guess the cast member who is spearheading the whole reboot campaign. this is "way too early"! ♪ everywhere you look

we need a theme song with words! hi, everybody. good morning, i'm thomas roberts. it is wednesday, august the 27th. welcome to "way too early," the show that does apologize for implanting the "full house" theme song in your head. we came up with this this morning. we cued that up. and i'll tell you, it has been in my head all morning, so it's going to be in yours, too. we'll tell you about that coming up in "the cooler," that reboot. but we start off with the update on this american writer that's been held hostage for nearly two years in syria is finally home. peter theo curtis is back with his family in the u.s. after being freed earlier this week. he arrived in boston after a flight from tel aviv to new jersey. we want to show you this photo. it's curtis and his mom after landing at logan international airport. he says he was touched and moved by everybody who welcomed him back home. but troubling news has now emerged that an american woman is being held hostage by islamic state militants in