and that's all for now. i'm ann curry. and for all of us here at nbc news, thanks for joining us. this morning on "early today," damage assessment. exxon mobil faces the heat over a messy spill in the yellowstone 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 the skies light up across the country as americans mark independence day. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, very good morning to you. i'm veronica de la cruz. today we begin with a foul

fourth. this morning while most of the nation prepares to celebrate independence days, teams of federal and state workers in montana are fanning out along the yellowstone river. they're gauging the damage caused by you aruptured exxon mobil pipeline that spilled thousands of gallons of crude into the famous waterway. the environmental protection agency estimates only a small fraction of the spilled oil which it sported downstream 40 miles is likely to be recovered. exxon mobil which has 120 workers on site estimates damage is limited to only a 10-mile stretch of river. montana's governor, concerned for the river's famous fishing and farmers, criticized the oil companying 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 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 video 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. >> the way the case was presented -- >> 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. and 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 an angry reprimand from judge bell vin 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. now here's a look at some other stories making news "early today" in america. 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 capital'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 displays a day early. sparks flew at the annual red, white and boom festival in florida. while crowds in kansas city and columbus, ohio, took in an equally awesome spectacle of color. and 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 shells and 8,100 bombardment effects for a truly spectacular pyrotechnics display. and thousands of people in seattle took 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 for largest gathering of zombies. organizers say they've buried the competition by several hundred walking dead. hmm. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc's meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. who came up with that? who said it's independence day? >> no idea. >> dress up like zombies and celebrate. >> they'll start dancing to michael jackson. >> absolutely, right. happy fourth of july, everyone. yesterday, st. louis and washington, d.c., that's where the weather didn't cooperate. it just wasn't very nice. today, both locations will be better. the big story, still is the heat that dominates much of the country. we will see scattered thunderstorms. i'll get to that in the second period that are at risk. the temperatures will be on the oppressive side. you want to be at the beach, maybe the lake, and areas of the southwest all the way back here through texas and oklahoma, down in the gulf, i'm sure the beaches will be packed today.

temperatures will be very warm. so here's how we're looking for the temperatures today, 100 in dallas, 91 in kansas city. we're not bad. minneapolis, great lakes, ohio valley, new england, should be good. d.c. is going to be hot and humid, though, at 92 for you. as far as the wet weather goes, we had about two inches of rain yesterday in st. louis. now those thunderstorms are a little further to the south that have developed. so southern illinois will get a little bit of that wet weather. so as far as the forecast for your fourth of july goes, we'll have an isolated scattered shower or storms, even in the desert southwest. as far as the wet weather, the worst of it, i think, north carolina, virginia, has the best chance of seeing a possible washout or delay to your fireworks later on tonight. most other locations you should be just fine. now here's a look at the weather outside your window. chance of showers and storms as i mentioned in st. louis. i think it would be early in the day. later this afternoon, i think st. louis will be better than yesterday. while alabama, mississippi, a pop-up shower or storm. but those should be long gone by the time the fireworks fly.

and a lot of people sit at home, like myself, and watch the macy's fireworks on nbc. the new york show should be just fine. >> it's always a good time. especially if you're rained out. >> yes. >> all right. 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 fries. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. and that sound of nashing metal you may have heard this morning at the theaters was the sound of box office records being broken. a walk-off between the mets and yankees and an unusual celebration at wimbledon. you're watching "early today."

well, good morning and welcome back to "early today," i'm veronica de la cruz, and here are some of your top headlines this morning. two republicans have signaled a potential compromise in the battle over the deficit ceiling. senator john mccain says he's open to what he's calling revenue raisers.

although it's unclear exactly what he means by that term. gop senator john cornyn also said republicans would be open to a short-term deal on a possible debt ceiling extension. 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. the north america tour for england's new royal couple has taken prince william and wife catherine to quebec. they were greeted by fans, while anti-monarchist protesters were kept at a distance. later the couple visited a shelter for troubled youths. 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 them to a, quote, poor standard of living. and 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 knew the u.s. declared its independence in 1776. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,582 after gaining 168 points friday. the s&p grew 19 points. the nasdaq rose 42. taking a look at overseas trading this morning in tokyo the nikkei added 97 points, while in hong kong, the hang seng climbed 372. this coming week, with much of wall street on summer vacation, no earnings news and issue of greek debt at least temporarily resolved, economic data will be the driving force. friday markets kicked off the third quarter with a fifth straight day of gains, marking their biggest weekly percentage gain since 2009. the dow rose more than 5%.

the s&p gained over 5%. and the nasdaq climbed more than 6%. friday, an index of national factory activity showed the pace of growth and manufacturing picked up for the first time in four months. on the heels of thursday's report showing surprisingly strong regional business, traders hoped the recent trend of weak data may be over. june auto sales also drove friday's trade. ford rose after reporting june sales shot up 14%. truck maker oshkosh served 14% after shareholder carl icahn said he wanted to meet with management to discuss shareholder value. important data tomorrow, with the congress department 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 price sector job numbers and friday comes the biggie, the all-important government employment data for june. and 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 convert used vegetable oil from mcdonald's outlets into 100% biodiesel, a fuel that burns 50% cleaner than normal diesel. the top vote getter for baseball's all-star contest, the mets, eke out a win against their cross-town rivals. and who is dancing at wimbledon? plus an extra participant invades the pitch in a contest between brazil and venezuela. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. coming up i'll take a closer look at, of course, the fireworks forecast across the country. most locations look great. you're watching ert li "today."

well, good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, 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 stewart with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> good morning. and a happy fourth of july. it may 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 bautista received a record 7.4 million votes. helped break up cliff lee's scoreless streak. toronto on top.

lee's streak ends at 34 innings. but don't feel too sorry for him. he is also an all-star. the yankees have six players in the midsummer classic. the mets have a pair. and they also got a big win against the bombers. tenth inning, bases loaded, jason bay, what do you say? how about game over? mets walk off with a win in ten. boston's josh beckett could start the all-star game and after yesterday's outings give him the ball. 11 strikeouts over eight innings while mark milanson 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 her ray old england. novak djokovic had ever won a tournament on grass until now. novak won the first and second sets, played a brilliant point to break 2345dal. do you think he's pumped? to match point we go, nadal's backhand return is long and 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. and finally, he may be man's best friend but he's not necessarily a goalkeeper's best friend. the pooch in the plata. got onto 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 early look at sports on early today, i'm bill steward. >> "early today" sports is brought to you by touch of gray. get rid of some gray, never all. the anniversary of the passing of a rock legend is observed by his fellow band members. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, we'll bring you something to keep in mind while you're enjoying your holiday food and fun. you're watching "early today."

well, welcome back. if you're just joining us, happy fourth of july. today i don't think anyone's going to have their plans completely rained out. but you may have to run inside or cover up the table and the grill for a short period of time, anywhere with this green coloring in here. that's where our stalled-out front is. if you're anywhere in virginia from the norfolk to virginia area, to raleigh and charlotte to the mid-appalachians, that's where you could have some afternoon showers and storms. we've had showers early today in areas of illinois and indiana. we'll continue to track those from little rock to memphis and even up to kentucky during the

day. maybe south florida a stray storm. you notice much of the country is looking great today. your picnic plans in the great lakes should be fine. in areas of upstate new york, got drenched yesterday. today will be much better. it will also be much warmer. if you're watching us on wfla-tv news channel 8, tampa, florida, celebrate independence day with a face painting arts and crafts, and of course the fireworks at family funfest, aboard the american victory ship. and that's your "early today" event of the day. >> see that makes sense. face painting, fireworks. zombies? i mean, that just doesn't really -- >> you haven't gotten over that. >> here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. as expected this weekend the new transformers transformed the record books. transformers, dark of the moob taking over 97 million dollars, beating the 90-plus million debut of pirates of the caribbean for 2011's best opening. 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 record upon i-max releases, delivering imax's first ever 20 million plus worldwide opening. after six days "dark of the moon" will have zoomed past total domestic earnings of $180 million. and it added a whopping $210 million overseas. speak of pirates of the caribbean, on stranger ties this weekend it became just the eighth movie ever to top $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. and finally in paris sunday, former members of doorts marked the 40th anniversary of the death of lead singer jim morrison, lighting candles at his grave. are you a fan, bill? >> i can't say a huge fan. but i'm familiar with, you know, the story and the music. >> you know who he is. >> definitely. >> okay. >> without a doubt. >> all right. this now comes to us from the u.s. transit center in kyrgyzstan. some of america's finest got a head start on their fourth of july festivities.

about 1200 service members stationed at the air base turned transit center for troops in afghanistan got a taste of home with a holiday cookout yesterday complete with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. on board overseas, protecting our independence the troops also enjoyed games, live music, and, of course, fireworks, all to celebrate the fourth. and a little bit of what is that salsa? >> i don't know. whatever it is, it doesn't matter. it's fun. >> i'm veronica de la cruz. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today, on your nbc station.

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning, everyone. we had some big storms around last night. we have some sprinkles left behind. let's look of the current conditions. partly cloudy skies. temperatures in the low 70's. 71 at the airport. a mixture of sunshine and clouds on this fourth of july. a slight chance for some thunderstorms. the best chance would be latest in the day. upper 80's and low 90's. we will check the seven-day

forecast in just a few minutes. >> thank you. 71 degrees on tv hill. how close all lawmakers to reaching an agreement on the debt ceiling? >> preparations are underway for the inner harbor's fourth of july celebration. i have the details. >> the fate of casey anthony will be put in the hands of the jury later today.

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. >> i am stan stovall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> happy fourth of july. >> we had some big storms last night. you miss them. you miss them.