this morning on "early today," soldiers seized. video surfaces of an american being held captive by taliban forces. remarkable rescue. some good samaritans in wisconsin take matters into their own hands. and underwater invasion. divers encounter some dangerous creatures from the deep along the coast of southern creatures from the deep along the coast of southern california. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning,

everyone. i'm dan kloeffler. and today we begin with an american in captivity. for the first time, the pentagon has confirmed the identity of 23-year-old bowe bergdahl, an american soldier being held by taliban soldiers in afghanistan. allison ooten porerts.re >> a very unnerving to be prisoner. >> reporter: unnerving for bowe berdahl and his family who live in the ketchum area. their 23-year-old son is indeed their young son being held in this video. the u.s. military said he was kidnapped while outside his base in southern afghanistan, a region that shares a border with pakistan. on the video his voice crac as he talks about the family and loved ones he's now a flad he may never see again.

>> my girlfriend, who is hoping to marry. i have my grandmas and grandpas. i have a very good family that i love back home in america. and i miss them every day that i'm gone. i miss them. and i'm afraid that i might never see them again and that i'll never be able to tell them that i love them again and i'll never be able to hug them. >> it breaks our heart. like i said, it's like having one of our own kids in this situation. >> reporter: tim and kel baker are family friends. they have known bowe most of his life. >> as long as he's alive, of course, i certainly hope. so that's what we're holding out for, that he will be released. >> reporter: allison ooten, nbc

news, haley, idaho. in southernisfghanhtan tis trning,wo nto wiloreets injured when their fighter jet crashed on un r a way. e th rntwmao- crew work go ahea bo eject fromat th ash. eamb mbmes are beingdtrte for minor injuries. just dayearlier, a iil ian-builtaniv i oph icelter took officr fom that airport killing 16 and injured 5. nato officials aren't sure who caused either crash but insists they were e not caused by insurgent attacks. there's a threat of civil war in honduras between za lie ya and the defacto government there. the mediation plan would have restored the government while sharply limiting his powers. instead, rival officials are calling for his prosecution for crimes linked to his push to change presidential term limits.

neither side is backing down on this. zelaya is vowing to return. koes sa rica's president said the situation stands at the brink of, quote, bloodshed. f a look at some other stories making news "early today" in america. in milwaukee, citizens risked their lives to rescue a mother and her two kids from a burning car. good samaritans quickly starting hitting and kicking the windshield to free the three victims inside the crash. the mother and the baby were pulled out first but a 4-year-old boy remained trapped inside. an off-duty firefighter finally braved that fire. they suffered third-degree burns but both are expected to live. three people off the coast of new jersey survived a fire which unglufd their 80-foot boat. they were forced to abandon ship 80 miles fr shore. a coast guard later came and put ere fi out. officials are still investigating, though, what

sparked that blaze. elsewhere in wisconsin, oscar mayer wiener truck got itself into a bit of hot water over the weekend. the driver of this huge hot dog on wheels said she mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brakes, sending it into a house. no one was home at the time. the driver was mott hurt. check out these pictures. a strong line of thunderstorms produced scores of lightning strikes. certainly quite a show there. the storm prompted several flash flood warnings throughout the state. now, for a look at the national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. bill, do you want to comment on the storm or the wienermobile? >> frankly, dan, i think you know. >> don't you have to have a special license to drive those things? >> i actually put on the north carolina they came through town

and i got to sit and drive around the parking lot. it was the highlight of my life. let's talk a little bit about the weather on this monday. hope you had a wonderful weekend. temperatures in chicago, once again, very cool. one of the coolest summers on record is under way. this morning it's 57 degrees. it's almost like a light jacket type morning. much more warm as far as boston, new york, i-95 corridor is concerned. as we head from orlando down to miami, it's also very humid. that's really the only area that's got the high humidity. that low gorge of air mass almost like fall. 63 is your current temperature. it's actually warmer in boston than it is down in atlanta. you actually see the big dip in the trough. that's our jet stream dipping way to the south. that's allowed the cool canadian air to sink southward. as far as today goes, comfortable here in the central areas of the ohio valley down to the tennessee valley. only stormy spot will continue to be down here in florida. overall, looks like a beautiful

monday in so many spots. that's your national forecast. now here's a look at the weather outside your ndow. atlantic city, new jersey, 83 today. that's not too bad. should be dry today. baltimore, 83 and dry. a chance of rain around richmond, virginia and the mountains of virginia. dan, looks like a gorgeous day in so many spots. hopes everyone gets out and enjoys it. thank you, bill. an idea what to expect on wall street this week. a sourpuss goes after kids selling lemonade. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. a booming weekend for the boy wizard, while "bruno" goes bust. a stirring playoff in the british open as a 59 tries to become world's oldest champion. and lance armstrong and the tour de france. you're watching "early today."

good morning and welcome back to "early today," everyone. i'm dan kloeffler. and here are some of your top headlines this morning. six months into his presidency, barack obama's approval rate dropped bow the 60% approval rating for the first time. it is now at 59%. that's a six-point drop from last month. in san francisco, federal investigators there say they don't know why the operator of a train that crashed this weekend switched off autopilot right before the collision. they said had he kept the automatic controls on the crash most likely could have been avoided. 48 people were hurt in that accident. scientists working to repair the international space station's toilet. it broke down, forcing the crew to use a backup toilet. there are a record 13 people aboard the space station with one toilet. and a squid invasion going on off the coast of southern

california. scientists aren't sure why thousands of humble flying squid are there but they are concerned. the squid can reach up to 100. now, here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day day today. the dow opens at 8,743. s&p down a fraction. the nasdaq, though, up a point. taking a look at overseas trading, in toqkytokyo, the nik was closed for a holiday. wall street looking for positive reaction today after a big lender in the small business world managed to avoid bankruptcy. for more on that and all your early business headlines, we're joined this morning by luouisa bojesen at the london headquarters of cnbc. >> reporter: hey, dan, why a whisker they managed to avoid bankruptcy. shares have been trading higher in the u.s.n friday as well as

europe this morning, up by more than 50%. it seems cit they've approved the $3 billion refinancing deal with a group of bondholders according to cnbc sources. we're just waiting fort details of this story to emerge. u.s. markets had their best week since march thanks to better than expected earnings. the fed chairman gives his monetary policy testimony this week. home price data on wednesday. weekly jobless claims and existing home sales on thursday. and consumer sentiment on friday. but it's really down to earnings more than a third of dow companies expected to report. microsoft, merck, boeing, apple. and let's not forget morgan stanley. ge, the owner of this channel, reported second quarter profits slightly better than expected. they lower their forecast after weakness spread into their heavy industrial kwunts area. citigroup reported a $4.3

billion second quarter profit, but it was driven by gains from the smith barney deal with the brokerage unit. shares closed $3 even in friday's trade. bank of america, which had to deal with hefty loan losses, beat estimates just as we saw with goldman sachs and jpmorgan hase. shares dropped because of troubled loans from credit cards and mortgage customers. and the kid from the suburbs of philly have gotten into trouble with the law, a brush with the law because they were selling lemonade without a permit. a neighbor called the police. has to be a neighbor. there was a misunderstanding because he thought they weren't being supervised properly. can't you have a little fun without getting the law involved. >> you can't even make a buck. i'm sure the neighbor will not get lemonade the a discount. lance, say it ain't so. is the comeback kid really sacrificing his chances to win

the tour de france? plus, after three days of nostalgic brilliance, the walls came tumbling down for tom watson. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. tom watson, you broke my heart. and i think you're going to love your monday forecast. not many issues out there. your regional forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." oy

good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang. straight ahead on "news 4 today," gunfire erupts at a home in an upscale neighborhood in loudoun county. what police believe may have led to the outbreak of violence. >> plus, area rest stops along two major situates are being shut down. what this means for many drivers who travel through northern virginia. >> four decades ago, history was made in the depths of outer space. why some famous astronauts are

good morning, everyone. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, that storybook finish that everyone was rooting for in golf's british open came crashing down yesterday in a bitter end for veteran tom watson. here's nbc's bill seward with an early look at all your sports headlines. a very good morning to you. tom watson was on the verge of history but he couldn't punk situate an incredible week at the british open. 59 years of age, watson in position to become the oldest player to become a winner. cink with a birdie putt to get to 2 under. came down to this for watson. par putt for the win. par putt for history. not even close. tommy fell into a four-hole playoff with cink. the wheel simply fell off for the five-time open winner, far

from elementary, my dear watson. watson's double-bogeyed the hole. cink made the most of his spotlight. beautiful approach. finished just feet from the hole. got the 2 under in the playoffs. finished with a birdie to win the open. for cink, the claret jug is his, his first major title. armstrong's teammate breaking away. armstrong moving up to second overall. 97 seconds behind comp door. after the stage, lance said he's too far behind and now riding to help comp door win the tour. funny stuff in morocco where a dog interrupted a horse jumping competition. pooch darted onto the field but didn't dare to leap over the

gate. eventually he was whisked off the field. seems that dog wants to learn a few new tricks. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm bill seward. >> thank you, bill. which disgruntled "american idol" yuj is threatening to leave and start their own show? early morning entertainment headlines straight ahead. plus, the cupcake to end all cupcakes. you're watching "early today."

welcome back onhis monday morning. one of the areas you need your umbrella today will be in western portions of virginia near roanoke. this is where we had showers and storms riding up to the north. also north of raleigh crossing the border into virginia we have some showers. i'd say about 90% of the eastern seaboard is going to see a nice day today. warm. 80 to 85. not too hot. the humid stuff down in central and southern florida. if you're watching tv 2 in gorgeous charleston, south carolina, learn about cultures and customs across europe through items and objects that are part of everyday life at the charleston museum exhibit around the world. that's your eastern event of the day, dan. love charleston. >> beautiful, beautiful. thank you, bill, appreciate it. while he did enjoy a pretty big buck number one weekend,

even harry potter has trouble living up to expectations. it raked in $79.5 million. in five days since wednesday's debut it's taken in just under 160 million bucks. no one is going to call that a bad showing. experts did expect the sixth potter film to flirt with a 100 weekend. the experts did call it right for the mocumentary weekend. former public school teacher who earned post retirement fame as the author of angela's ashes died sunday at the age of 78 from complications of cancer. finally, paula abdul's new manager said she is hurt and angry and probably not returning to "american idol" unless she gets an offer soon. she may even start her own show to compete with "american idol."

i would tune into that. >> which part? >> i like her. everyone rips on her. i feel like her and i are both misunderstood. >> you wouldn't watch to see the train wreck? you think it would be quality tv. >> i didn't say that. i said i would watch her. >> you're as bad as everybody else. this comes from care 11 minneapolis where if you have a serious sweet tooth, guinness book of world records officials have confirmed your dream come true. the largest cub cake was certified at weighing in at 150 pounds, 60 pounds of yellow icing, 50 pounds of fudge went into making this sweet treat, enough to serve 1,500 people, standing one feet tall, two feet wide, the chef had a super-sized cancelled el for that cupcake.

4:54 is our time right now. 70 degrees outside. you are looking at a loovly picture of the skyline of the nation's capital, the washington nument pointing toward our sky, which we'll find out if they're clear, cloudy, whatever. welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today. we want to start things off, as we always do with a look at weather and traffic. >> well, good morning. it is a cloudy start, and a little more humid overnight, but a pleasant morning. we don't have any rain ouar nd .ongire th fere ae ewapresinklar oundou riismondt thho ur urte nompe iur70w er n ininshonhe ton m0s-6id prince ry, fairfax, george's counties. upper 50s farther to the west. lower 60s eastern shore. het in tnsouaintn ihe t 50s. may get some rain later on today. details in the forecast coming up at 5:01. stay tuned. >> thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards, say happy monday morning to him. how are you, jerry? >> doing great. happy monday to you guys. let's see how we're doing here. so far, so good along i-270. had some overnight road work.

at might be the reason for a little sluggish traffic headed through germantown. out to the woodrow wilson bridge, a quiet start. 50, b-w parkway looking good as monday morning gets under way. back to you. >> yeah, here it is again. >> yep. >> thanks. >> funny how it happens. >> four big stories happening today. the case against the man accused in the death of eight people in the street racing crash is expected to happen today. it happened back in february 2008 along indian head hawaii and pine drive. police say devon taylor, along with darren bullock were racing when bullock's car plowed into a crowd of 200 spectator. >> a former nfl quarterback is free later today. michael vick is released from house confinement in virginia. he is under house arrest in his home in virginia to complete his federal sentence on animal cruelty charges. vick was sentenced in 2007. >> well, today's the last day several rest stops in northern virginia will be in operation. tomorrow, 19 rest stops around

the state will close to help shrink the budget gap. the rest area on eastbound i-66 in manassas will close to cars and trucks. the rest area on interstate 95 in dale city will close for cars but remain open to trucks. >> today marks the 40th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing. astronaut neil armstrong became the first man to step foot on the man. today, president barack obama will welcome the apollo crew to the white house. >> well, with the poor economy, many americans are skipping summer vacations to stay home and save some money, but it turns out that a great trip may not be that far out of reach. >> to lure customers back, airlines, hotels and restaurants are slashing prices. tom costello has more. >> reporter: for the airline and travel industry, summer 2009 is shaping up to be a bit of a washout. and with little optimism that business will pick up in the fall, hotels, resorts and airlines are discounting prices to levels we haven't seen in 13

years. >> it's going to be a wild and crazy run for the airlines. they're still losing their shirts, and they still got to fill up those planes. >> reporter: bestfares.com says if you're traveling between august 18th and november 28th, there are 12 flights to las vegas for $98 round trip. 40 cities to baltimore, washington, d.c.'s, bwi for $48. flying to europe? dallas to rome drops to nearly $1500 to $740 as of mid-august. chicago to paris drops from $1150 to $460. los angeles to barcelona drops from $1209 to $609. why mid-august? >> that's when everybody in america has to go back to work, kids are going back to school, family travel's over. the only folks out there who are going to be out there may be some retirees. >> reporter: but already, hotels are offering deep discounts now at some of the country's top destinations. among the deals on

travelzoo.com, $49 at the m resort in las vegas. $105 at the vice roy in miami. all of it reflecting america's new economic reality. >> with unemployment at 9.5% and it's expected to continue to go higher for at least the next six months or so, a lot of people tend to cut first from the vacation fund and, you know, the fun fund if you will. >> reporter: the great recession of 2009 also offering unprecedented chances for a great escape. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> for more helpful savings tips, visit our website, nbcwashington.com and search savings 4 you. >> stay with us. "news 4 today" continues now at 5:00 a.m. >