damage assessment. exxon mobil faces the heat over a messy spill into the yellow stone river. decision time. jurors in the murder trial of casey anthony prepare to decide the fate of the florida mother accused of killing her child. and, happy fourth. the skies light up across the country as americans mark independence day. good morning to you. i'm veronica de la cruz. those stories and more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. we begin this morning, while

most of the nation prepares to celebrate independence day teams of federal and state workers in montana are fanning out along the yellow stone river. they're gauging the damage caused by a ruptured exxon mobil pipeline that spewed thousands of gallons of crude into the famous waterway. the environmental protection agency estimates only a small fraction of the spilled oil which it spotted as far downstream as 40 miles is likely to be recovered. exxon mobil which has 120 workers on site estimates damage is limited to only a ten-mile stretch of river. the montana governor concerned for the river's famous fishing and farmers alongside it criticized the oil company for downplaying the possible scope of the disaster. last year the department of transportation warned exxon mobil citing seven safety violations along the ruptured pipeline. in just a matter of hours the murder trial of casey anthony is expected to go to the jury. more than three years after the death of her 2-year-old daughter caylee. this, after a highly charged day in the courtroom yesterday that included tears and a showdown in

front of jurors. nbc's jay gray has the latest from orlando. >> reporter: with pictures and videos of caylee anthony framing his closing arguments, prosecutor jeff ashton described a web of lies the state alleges led to the little girl's death. >> casey anthony maintains her lies until they absolutely cannot be maintained anymore. >> reporter: and provided a day by day narrative of how they believe it happened. >> she knew that that night she would be in the arms of her boyfriend and that caylee would be dead. >> reporter: defense attorney jose baez fired back. >> if you hate her, if you think she's a lying no good slut, then you'll start to look at this evidence in a different light. >> reporter: baez said the lies and questionable behavior were the result of a dysfunctional family that hid secrets including the fact that casey was pregnant. >> this is outrageous! >> reporter: he challenged state witnesses, evidence and every

key element of the prosecution's case. as the emotion and tension in the courtroom grew, he challenged ashton as well. >> depending on who's asking the questions, whether it's this laughing guy right here or whether it's myself -- >> objection. >> sustained. approach the bench. >> reporter: the outburst in front of the jury led to a delay and angry reprimand from judge belvin perry. >> enough is enough. >> you can't trust this evidence. >> reporter: as the closing arguments resumed, baez returned to his overriding theme. >> if it is difficult for you to find the truth, then this case is not proven. >> reporter: after the prosecution's rebuttal later this morning and instructions from the judge, the jury will begin their search for that truth. jay gray, nbc news, orlando. the u.s. government reaches its credit limit on august 2nd. if congress doesn't do something before then, uncle sam won't be able to pay his bills. that is bad news for our nation's credit rating and our ability to keep borrowing. lawmakers have been at an impasse over dealing with the so-called debt ceiling. now a couple of key republicans are suggesting possible ways

forward. nbc's brian mooar has the story from washington. >> reporter: congress has less than a month to raise uncle sam's credit limit. but lawmakers are locked in a battle over a long-term cure for our nation's financial fix. democrats want to raise money. republicans are demanding massive cuts. now a couple of key republican lawmakers are suggesting possible ways to compromise. >> jon kyl was in negotiations as you know with the vice president. and he said there were certain revenue raisers and other areas that perhaps we could work on. >> reporter: senator john mccain won't say exactly what revenue raisers are. but he says he and some other republicans aren't necessarily opposed. it sounds a lot like what president obama and democrats have been asking for. but republicans insist that if revenue raisers is code for tax increases, that's a deal breaker. senator john cornyn says he's no

fan of a debt ceiling extension, but it may have to happen. >> the problem with a mini deal, we have a maxi problem. and big problems aren't going to go away if you cut a mini deal. >> reporter: he blasted an idea suggested by some democrats that the u.s. constitution empowers the president to keep on spending even if uncle sam goes over his credit limit. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. here is your first look at some of the other news going on around america today. a violent thunderstorm tore through washington, d.c., yesterday where a 56-year-old cyclist was killed by a falling tree limb. at one point in the afternoon police cleared spectators off the capitol's west lawn where preparations for today's big independence day concert were under way. fortunately the weather cleared up in time for the evening rehearsal. elsewhere across the country, several cities held their fourth of july fireworks display a day early. sparks flew at the annual red, white and blue festival in florida.

while crowds in kansas city and columbus, ohio, took in an equally awesome spectacle of color. in los angeles, experts were busy setting up what they say will be the fastest firing display in town. the hour-long show at l.a.'s coliseum will light up the sky with 2,000 aerial shows and 8,100 bombardment effects for a truly spectacular pyrotechnics display. thousands of people in seattle took to the streets for an unusual independence day tradition. the third annual red, white and zombie walk. the ghoulish group dressed up in their worst to try their best for the guinness world record of the largest gathering of zombies. the organizers say they buried the competition by several hundred walking dead. now for a look at the national weather, we turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins with a weather channel forecast.

i'm just speechless. i just don't know how zombies go hand in hand with the fourth of july. i don't know. >> kind of goes a little closer with the fall festival halloween. >> and the michael jackson video "thriller." >> that's true. good morning to you, veronica. happy fourth of july, everyone. yesterday some areas did get rained out. especially yesterday evening. d.c. we had the horrible thunderstorms go through. we showed you the video earlier. st. louis, 2 inches of rain. today's going to be a little drier than yesterday. we're also going to be watching the rain shifting a little farther south. we'll watch virginia and through the areas of tennessee and kentucky for the rain today. we should be dry in most of new england. now, as far as the heat goes, we're still very hot throughout much of the country. we don't have a lot of cold weather out there. it's definitely lake, beach or pool weather if you can get there today or maybe in the shade at the park. if the sun is out it's going to be hot in your location. anywhere in the red is where it's going to be at least 90 degrees today. that covers at least half the

country. the only areas that are really cool is the pacific northwest in the 70s. san francisco, you're near the water, that's why you're 72 today. new york city near 90. same with d.c. also a tad humid in those cities. chicago is probably going to see one of the better days around the country. 83 and should be clear for the fireworks tonight. that's just ideal. right now the only trouble spot wet weatherwise, southern illinois we have some wet weather. later today could have strong storms from rapid city to sioux falls to fargo. i don't think it's going to be too bad. just some damaging winds with those storms late today. here's your forecast for fourth of july. thunderstorms possible. atlanta, i think charlotte, raleigh, heading through kentucky and tennessee. those are kind of the big cities that will have a chance of some delays for the fireworks. hopefully the thunderstorms will clear out by the time the sun sets and everything will be on schedule. dallas, hot and dry. new orleans, slight chance or a storm for you. also in florida, south florida especially, a chance of an

afternoon storm. but i don't think that's going to ruin any fireworks displays down there, too. veronica, the bottom line, about 95% of the country going to have a fabulous day today. picnic plans are a go. >> and kind of toasty as well. thanks, bill. how wall street ended last week and how it will begin the week ahead. plus, mcdonald's plans to power its trucks with leftover oil from french fries. your first look at this morning's business headlines is straight ahead. a walkoff between the mets and yankees. and an unusual celebration at wimbledon. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ female announcer ] ever wish vegetables

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to your kids' wet skin. new neutrogena® wet skin kids. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum barrier for full strength sun protection. wet skin. neutrogena®. welcome back to "first look." i'm veronica de la cruz. here are some of the top stories making news this morning. in new mexico evacuation orders have been lifted for about 12,000 residents living near the fire that threatened the los alamos nuclear laboratory. officials say the blaze was caused by a fallen tree that hit power lines.

in michigan, an inmate says he's being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment because he can't have pornography. in a handwritten lawsuit, the 21-year-old who's been charged with a bank robbery claims his civil rights are being violated, saying denying his request for erotic material subjects him to a, quote, poor standard of living. just in time for july, we're learning that many americans aren't quite sure of their independence day facts. a new poll shows only 58% of respondents new the u.s. declared its independence in 1776. 76% correctly said the u.s. gained its independence from england, but 19%, unsure and 5% named another country. well, the north american tour for england's new royal couple has taken prince william and wife katherine to quebec. they were greeted by fans while anti-monarchist protesters were kept at a distance.

nbc's frances coe has more. >> reporter: the newlyweds are on an 11-day trip to canada and the u.s. after an overnight trip on the st. lawrence river. >> i would like to say a special welcome. >> reporter: they attended a meet -- prayer service on deck for meeting with residents of a center for homeless youth. about 150 protesters demonstrated about two blocks from where prince william smoke at a ceremony at city hall. >> translator: it is simply a pleasure to be here. thank you for your patience with my accent. i hope that we will have the chance to get to know each other over the years to come. until the next time. >> reporter: the protesters who also appeared in montreal are largely from an anti-monarchist separatist group. however, far larger crowds of supporters gathered in quebec to catch a glimpse of the royal couple on their first overseas

trip as a couple. frances coe, nbc news. here's your first look at how wall street finished friday heading into the holiday weekend. the dow closed at 12,582 after gaining 168 points. the s&p grew 19. the nasdaq rose 42. taking a look at overseas trading this morning in tokyo, the nikkei added 97 points. in hong kong the hang seng claimed 372. well, this coming week with much of wall street on summer vacation no earnings news and the issue of greek debt at least temporarily resolved, economic data will be the driving force. friday markets kicked off the third quarter with the fifth straight day of gains marking their biggest weekly percentage gains since 2009. the dow rose over 5%, the s&p gained over 5% and the nasdaq climbed more than 6%.

friday an index of national factory activity showed a pick-up for the first time in four months. traders hope the recent trend of week data may be over. june auto sales also drove friday's trade. ford rose. truck maker oshkosh surged 14% after shareholder carl icahn said he wanted to meet with management to discuss enhancing shareholder value. important data to look for starts tomorrow with the commerce department's factory orders for may. thursday brings june retail sales with many hoping reduced gas prices translated into more sales at stores. also thursday we'll get june's private sector job numbers. friday comes the biggy, the all-important government employment data for june. finally, mcdonald's will be making deliveries to its restaurants in the united arab emirates in trucks fueled with oil from its own vats. a dubai firm will confirm used vegetable oil from mcdonald's outlets into 100% biodiesel. a fuel that burns 50% cleaner than normal diesel. in sports now, sunday saw a

match-up between one of baseball's hottest hitters and one of the game's toughest pitchers. here's nbc's bill seward. >> good morning. and a happy fourth of july. it hay be america's pastime, but a guy on a canadian team is the leading vote getter for baseball's all-star game. the toronto blue jays' jose batista received 7.4 million votes. he helped break up cliff lee's scoreless streak. the second of back to back jacks puts toronto on top. lee's streak ends at 34 innings. don't feel too sorry for him. he is all an all-star. jays beat the phils, 7-4. the yankees have six players in the midsummer classic. the mets have a pair. they also got a big win against the bombers. tenth inning. bases loaded. jason bay, what do you say? how about game over? mets walkoff with a win in ten. boston's josh beckett could start the all-star game. after yesterday's outing, give him the ball. 11 strikeouts over eight innings. he was lights out. while mark malancen was out to lunch.

loaded the bases and walked in the go-ahead run in the ninth. red sox swept the astros with a 2-1 victory. across the pond to merry old england. novak djokovic had never won a tournament on grass until now. novak won the first and second sets. played a brilliant point to break nadal. do you think he's pumped? to match point we go. nadal's back hand return is long. that's it. novak djokovic wins his first wimbledon title. how does he celebrate? by throwing rackets into the crowd, of course. it's his third major championship but none bigger than wimbledon. finally, he may be man's best friend, but he's not necessarily a goalkeeper's best friend. the pooch got on to the field during a game in argentina. headed to the net. but i think he's a bit offsides. look at the tail. he bends it like beckham. bad dog. that's your first look at sports. i'm bill seward. the anniversary of the passing of a rock legend is observed by his fellow band members.

plus, that sound of gnashing meetal you may have heard this weekend at the theaters, was the sound of box office records being broken. your first look at entertainment is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. ♪ inside all of us is a compass and it always points true north. toward mountains of sand. toward new sights and sensations. toward the true bounty of nature so let's set our compass for traverse city and find ourselves. in the magic, and the moments of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org.

welcome back to "first look." i'm veronica de la cruz. fireworks displays have been lighting up the skies around the country all weekend. but the one that bills itself as the nation's biggest takes place

tonight in new york city. macy's fourth of july show will attract 3 million new yorkers and millions more at home on nbc. mark barger has this preview. >> reporter: for 35 years fireworks and macy's have been synonymous on the fourth of july. >> it's not just putting fireworks in the sky. it's putting fireworks in the sky that can almost make you cry. >> reporter: once again the hudson river will be command central for the massive production which has kept licensed pyrotechnicians business ci busy for more than a week. >> six barges two miles long. 40,000 shells bursting almost 1,000 feet in the air. 17 colors in a myriad of shapes. >> reporter: the most for the telecast, singer nick lachey, says this year's event has added significance. >> the 125th anniversary of the statue of liberty as well as the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 and paying tribute to those who lost their lives on that day. >> reporter: the statue of

liberty will provide the backdrop for musical performances from beyonce. ♪ i love this land, god bless the usa ♪ >> reporter: meanwhile, country star brad paisley will perform in front of the empire state building. >> we are celebrating one common thing. that's the fact that we get to live in the greatest country anyone's ever designed. >> reporter: for the millions watching the fireworks display in person or on tv -- >> it never disappoints. it's always spectacular. >> reporter: -- it's a colorful conclusion to the long holiday weekend. mark barger, nbc news. >> love those fireworks. all right. time now for entertainment news. as expected this weekend the new "transformers" film transformed the record books. "dark of the moon" took in over $97 million beating the 90-plus

million debut of pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides." "dark of the moon" also broke the three-day fourth of july weekend record previously held by 2004's "spider-man 2." it also set a record for imax. delivering imax's first ever 20 million-plus worldwide opening. by the end of fourth of july weekend after six days "dark of the moon" will have zoomed past total domestic earnings of 180 million. it added a whopping $210 million overseas. "pirates of the caribbean" this weekend became just the eighth movie ever to top $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. finally to paris now, sunday, former members of the doors marked the 40th anniversary of the death of lead singer jim morrison lighting candles at his grave. favorite doors song, bill? "light my fire"? >> yeah. that's just very typical, though. doesn't really mean i'm a fan. you know. you? >> "love street."

i'm corny that way. >> i don't know that one. i'll have to google that. >> i was going to ask you to do your best jim morrison impersonation. >> no. >> come on! a little "light my fire" this morning on fourth of july? >> that's later tonight. that's what we'll be doing later with the sparklers and fireworks all over the country. let's get into it. show you what we're going to be dealing with. everyone waking up with us in the northeast and mid-atlantic. take you through your afternoon and evening here. right now it's a very mild morning. still a little humid, a little foggy out there. i know yesterday was kind of a rainout. actually the forecast was worse than expected. especially areas from new york city northward up through the hudson valley. that was just one downpour after another in the catskills. today some of those storms will still be around but the concentration won't be quite as great. still kind of humid out there. until we get the drier air in we'll have the chance of some showers. right now the only wet weather i have, just some sprinkles coming out of the mountains of west virginia into the northwest portion of west virginia. we're fine from philly northward. dry for all of new england.

there may be thin clouds. when the sun is out you'll feel it today. it's going to be warm. temperatures are going to jump. we're going to get up into the 90s many most areas. d.c. expecting about 92. if you get clouds in the morning it's actually good. maybe that'll keep you a little cooler. buffalo, great. pittsburgh. all of upstate new york and new england, you're fine. but with that moisture lingering in the i-95 corridor we have about a 30% chance of powers or storms from boston to hartford providence. d.c., a chance of a storm. here's your fourth of july forecast if you're joining us from the southeast. most locations dry, but south florida just a few storms. the worst of the weather, tennessee valley through areas of virginia and north carolina. that's where our frontal boundary is going to hang up. that's where we'll see the greatest concentration of showers and storms. hopefully if it rains on your picnic it'll be a quick, 20, 30 minutes then you can get back outdoors and enjoy everything. in the middle of the country, if you're waking up with this really early here, you're just fine.

no issues at all. anyone traveling to the west coast, also beautiful weather for the fourth, veronica. >> excellent news, bill. happy fourth of july. i'm veronica de la cruz and this is "first look" on msnbc. here's a myth:

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