this morning on "early today," reaching out. president obama makes his first speech to the united nations calling for a new era of engagement. a traffic camera capres a head-on collision. >> dazzling display. a dplims of one of the world's most faus gems as it's never a dplims of one of the world's most faus gems as it's never been se before. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

hello and good morni. i'm christina brown. today we begin with a call for acti. president obama is no strang to high profile speeches but he was on new grod yesterday delivering his first address to the united nationseneral assembly. faced with a ho of global challenges, the most immediate concerns took center stage. nbc's steve handelan reports. >> reporter: president obama sat down in new york with russian president medicine vyestery verify. to stop iran from building nuclear weapons, the russians agreed ructantly. cooperation. earlier in his first speech to the u.n. predent obama called for morecooperation. d he didn't minutes words.

>> those who chastise america for acting alone cannot stand by and wait for americao solve the world's problems alone. >> reporter: in his u.n. address iranian president ahmadinejad didn'tention nukes. >> and those who have created the current disastrous situation continue tolame others. >> reporter: members of the u.s. delegation walked out president obama had already pressured both sides. >> we continue to call on palestinians to enden sightment against israel and continue to emphasize that america does not accept the legitimacy. >> reporter: many american say they trust barack obama borrows hi father was a muslim. even libyan leader moammar dhafi had warm words. now barack obama shifts his stage t the meeting of the world's wealthiest nation in

pittsburgh and shifts his focus on the economy. steve handelsman, nbc news, new york. in what will mark another historic first, president obama will chair meeting of the u.n. security council, the first time a u.s. president has done so. leaders of the 15-nation panel will gather later this morning where the subject wi be nuclear proliferation. the council is expected to unanimously adopt a u.s. drafted resolution that puses for further efforts towards nuclear disarmament. the as the u.n. mmit winds down, the g-20 summit picks up in pittsburgh. leaders there will turn their focus on the global economy. officials from wealthy and developing nations wl meet t discuss economic recovery. climatehange is also on the agenda. a big topicfor protesters who unfurled a giant banner ross the downwn bridge wednesday.

mewhile, thousands of police officers have been mobilized, some in riot gear, with at least 15 arrestscoming yesterday. now here's a look at some other stories making news "early toda in america. in arizo, a highway traffic camera captur deadly head-on collision. take a look. in the video you see a car swerve across the road and smash directly into a bus that was carrying special needs children. all three people inside thatcar were killed. they were not wearing their seatbelts. meanwhile, on the bus, on the driver suffered minor injuries. thieves inest virginia broke into ausiness and then made off with an atm. after one man threw a car jack through a window, the two grabbed the cash che inside and carried it to their car. but one of them closed the hatch just a little too soonhitting his accomplice on the ad. an overturned mow lass else truck ceainly slowed down traffic in oklahoma. the tanker rolled over spilling

the soupy substance across the highway. no one was injued but it did take crews two hours to clean up this very sticky situation. a few ranchers in colorado stepped in to help a pair of elk. the two got their antlers tangled with each other in a bar of barbed wire. neither animal was hurt, but the ranchers were not able to clear all of the wire. now it's time for a look at your national and regional weather, here's meteorologist ry phillips from wtvj miami with today's forecast. good morning, ryan. as if the antlers didn't make the elk dangerous enough. >> porter: throw in a little barbed wire and there you go. here in the easwe've got a changeable weather pattern in place. nice cooldown in the east. southstern states drying out. but the wet weather focus will shift to the middle mississippi

valley on into the rthern gulf coast states. high pressure, which has brought in woerful weather in the northeast, starting to retreat. rain in the northeast b most will push offshore by the time we get things going. not looking for much in the way of travel delays across the mid aantic or northeastern states today. still muggy in the southeast. 71 in atlanta. 74 in savannah. 70 right now in th big apple. overall today, we are going to see more cloudsround and sti very muggy in the southeast but dry after the massive flooding we've had in northern georgia near atlanta. 84 today and partly cloudy skies. , early morning showers in new york. and detroit and chicago loong very nice. partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-70s. miami, orlando, mid-70s. that's a check of the weather across the region.

now your forecast close to home. hartford, connecticut, 79. more clouds and sunshine today. we should push the showers out of here. charleston, 89, partly sunny. savannah, 88, with muggy conditions. so we're going to roll on here. overall, we're going to roll on with just shower activity in the northeastut really cool temperatures coming for the weekend. we'll talk about that in just a little bit, christina. > bankstumble, oilfals, and the fed sa things are going okay. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, she's back. just wn you thought the wod might be safe from mad cap singer amy winehouse she proves she still in fightingform. a legendary manager calls it quits. a pair ofwalk-offs from around the league. and when did the yankees get cat woman? you're watching "early today."

>> good morni, and welce back to "early today." i'm christina brown. here are some of your top headnes this morning. for the first time an experimental vaccine has proven effective against the virus responsible forids. and the world's largest aids vaccine trial involvin 16,000 volunteers in thailand. the vaccine reduced the risk of becoming infected withhiv by mo tha31%. the resul surpris reearchers because the dose combines two vaccineshat separately did not preven hiv in previous trials. a law enforcement worker said a conseus worker has been found dead in kentucky with the word fed scrawled on his chest. new satellite information shows ice sheets in greenland and antatia are melting away faster than scientists

anticipated. damage showed in partsf antarctica the yearly rate of thinng from 2003 to 2007 was 50% more than what it was from 1995 to 2003. and scientists now believe they have unbiguous evidence that there's water on th moon dashing the notion thatearth's neighbor is a dead satellite. da from spacecrft fly-byes ha detected proof that a film of water covers the moon's surface in some areas, in particular near the poles. the dow opens at 9,748fter dropping 81 points on wednesday. the s&p lost 10. the nasdaq fell 14 ints. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei rose 173 points, but in hong kong the hang seng sank 544 points. yesterday's federal rerve meeting did not deliver think

big surprises the take on the economy still changed to disappoint some. after wrapping itstwo-day meeting wednesday the fed annound interest rates will reman unchanged. on the subject of a recovery, the committee said the pace of economic activity has, ote, picked up. markets rallied early but finished lower afteren vestors worried that the fed's decision to slow some stimulus measures may have come too soon. with interest rates remaininat record lows, concern that banks will have a ard time turning a profit sparked a sell-off in financials. jprgan l the market. citigroup is reportey cutting back on branches nationwide, focusing theluck of its business overseas. now ci will be in just six major u.s. cities. some say the moveould make waves in washgton considering the u.s. government bailed out citigroup last year and now has a 34% stake in thecompany. also dragging down arkets,

the price of crude slid nely 4% wednesday, settling below $69 a barrel afr reports of ring supplies. shares ofisco fell 2% wednesday weighing down the tech heavy nasdaq. the number of americans unale to pay credit card bills rose 1%. the a lo of debt charged off hit a record high as amecans struggled to find jobs. japan's sony reported global retail sales of its latest cut bright model of the playstation video game console had hit 1 million in the three weeks since its launch. finally, if you've ever wished yu had a seg that fits doors, honda's new mini transporter might be your answer. the unicycle will keep you on your toes, though. to steer, you'll need your balance to lean in the desired direction while traveling up to

6 miles per hour. well, the braves get t their broom. hazing yankee rookies. and walk-offs galore. plus, tampa's bj upton a his flare for the dramatic. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. and we are still stormy in the middle mississippi valley. your regional forecast coming up. stick around. you're watching "early today."

good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm barbara harrison. straight ahead on "news 4 today," outrage and frustration with our region's transit system. why metro's general manager could soon be out of a job. >> plus, a remarkable recovery after a tragic lightning strike in virginia. first on 4, a child talks about the terrifying experience on that fateful day. >> then, a warning for parents about how to keep their kids from getting sick. what a

good morning. ifyou're just waking up, this is "early tody." sports, the man who guided the atlanta braves to 14 straight postseason appearances is stepping down. he's nbc's fredoggin wth an early look at all yr sports headlines. good morning. they say when it's time to go, you'll know. a for bobby cox it's that time. themanager of e braves annoced he will retire next season after 50 years in baball. cox and the braves were in the big apple facing the mets. laroche had three hits and a pair of rbi. this one gave the bras a 3-0 lead. sacks full. castillorounded into an inning ending double play. braves won it5-2. they're now just four games out of the wild card. florida down o in the ninth. cantu, rbi single up the mide.

tied the game at six. pinch-hitter brett carroll. you can call him hero. camehrgh with a game-winning hi rlins rallied to beat the champs, 7-6. more late inning heroics. dodgers and nats. tied score. runners on the corners. pete shot to ane ethier. he dropped it. not like it would have matted. the runners were tagging. the victory meant so much more for the team. they avoid losing 0 gmes this season. kudos to them. as the yankees pena dressed as cat woman for rookie zing. robinson gav new york the lead rbi single. went on to win 3-2. their magic number to clinch the east is five. rays and mariners. tampa trying to salvage anything from a disappointing season. sacks full. bj upton would score two. last guess for the mariners.

bill hall, long drive to center. it tes the game. upton made the leaping grab at the wall. rays go on to win 5-4. that's your early look at sports early today." i'm fred roggin. > how brittaney spears ex-husband turns his weight gain into financial game. your early morning entertainment headlines are strght ahead. >> if diamonds are a girl's best friend, we're about to introduce you to every girl's bff. you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today." a cold front across the deep south stays far enough to the southeast. butin the noheast this fro may ck off early morning showers. nice weather just in time for the weekend. new york might see an early morning shower. 88 in charlotte. 84 in atlanta. mid-80s tomorr in atlanta. troit, d.c., new york, even into the northeast, highs 65 to 70. if you're watching us this morning on wcsh tv in portland, maine, come see amazi comparisons between photos of portland over 100 years ago and the exact same locationsoday at pcting portland acentury of change at the portlnd haror museum. that's your eastern event of the day, christina. >> thanks so much, ryan. now here's a look at this morning's helines in entertainment.

haven't heard much about amy winehouse lately. then perhaps, just perhaps, you hought she'd calmed her life down lately, right? wrong. earlier this week, winehouse allegedly srmed into a london school to confro a girl who bullied her god daughter. she reportedly screamed at and spit on the girl. then rg not kidding her, she signed a few autographs and went home. jude law is a father again but is time oy financially. his former flame gave birth to a daughter soph. grey'snatomy st gave birth to a daughter she named stella lieu that. britney spears's ex is joining vh-1's celebrity fit ub. renee zellweger won't be gaining weight. it tooker so long to drop the ponds after the second film. for thi one she says she's going to wearing a so-called fat

suit. >> no need to load up on all the milkshakes like the the lt movie. >> at least she could say she was preparing for a worthy cause. >> well, this comes to us from wrc tv nbc 4 in washington, d.c. where th world'sargestblue diamond is taking center stage in the nude, so to speak anyway. for the first time, the famed hope diamond is on diplay without its or nate setting. the gem is apearing naked while another setting is prepared, which will mark its 50 years at the smitonian. now for several months, starry-eyed visitors will be able to see the 45 1/2 karat diamond and all its bare elegance. i can'teven concentrate after seing that. serious bling, big time. >> no kidding. i'm christina brown, and this is "early today," just your

% our time right now is 4:54. we have 74 degrees here in the nation's capital. we have some clouds over us as well. jefferson memorial all lit up on this september the 24th, 2009, a thursday here in the nation's capital. welcome to "news 4 today." good morning. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm barbara harrison. good morning, everyone. we're going to start things off with a look at our weather and traffic. tom is here with the forecast. good morning, tom. >> well, good morning. we did have a few overnight showers that passed through the region, but those have since dissipated. and at this hour, as we take a look at the radar we don't have any precipitation around, and we do have just a few clouds that continue to linger. temperatures are now in the mid-70s around washington, low 70s in the suburbs and on the eastern shore. it's in the 60s out in the mountains, near 70 on the eastern shore. the view from space is showing us a few clouds that linger.

we may have just a few more clouds around throughout the rest of the day. then a chance of a shower by predawn tomorrow and perhaps on satuay. that's the way it looks. i'm back in five minute was another update. >> we'll see new five minutes. thanks, tom. >> let's go to ashley linder n and the news 4 traffic network. good morning to you. >> good morning. we're starting off pretty quietly, no big issues around the area. this is springfield. the headlights are coming out of the woodbridge area. 395 also off to a quiet start. 66 all overnight road work is a thing of the past. you'll find your travel lanes open and at speed. back to you. >> all right. thank you, ashley. >> thank you. here now is a look at some of the top stories happening today. president obama presides over talks at the u.n. this morning. he'll focus on nuclear weapons and iran. after that he's off to pittsburgh to attend the g-20 summit. >> massachusetts governor deval patrick will announce his choice to replace the late edward kennedy in the u.s. senate today. state lawmakers granted governor

patrick the power to name an interim replacement yesterday. the new senator will give democrats a critical 60th senate vote needed to pass health care overhaul. >> nbc news has learned that new charges could be filed today against one of three men arrested in a recent terror investigation, a shuttle bus driver from denver. his father and a man from new york were arrested last weekend. so far they've only been charged with lying to investigators. >> metro's board will meet later this morning. one topic up for discussion will be john catoe's contract. according to "the washington post," some angry riders are calling for his resignation after june's deadly crash and various other problems. however, metro board members have said he has their full support. >> well, a famous rock that's rock with a capital "r" is getting a fresh look. the hope diamond is on display in the smithsonian in all of its stand-alone brilliance. >> jim handly got a closep

look. >> reporter: there's been hype around the hope for centuries. the 45-carat diamond is displayed as a stand-alone gem with no setting at all. >> it's unbelievable that it's right here in our presence. it's beautiful. >> reporter: make you want to reach out and grab it, put it on? >> i'm surprised that it is out here so bare. >> reporter: but not alone. there was plenty of company. guards and hidden cameras kept close watch. security seems very tight around here. >> obviously, with the hope diamond we have to take security very seriously. with the activities here today, sure, we had a little extra kurt security but it's something we think about every day. >> reporter: everyone could capture the image with their own cameras. >> you have to dream, you know. but at least if if i have my picture -- >> reporter: exactly. you can take it with you. >> i would appreciate it if someone would put it on my finger. >> it's easily the most

beautiful gem i will ever see. >> reporter: the rich history took many twists and turns before it came to the smithsonian in 1958. >> the hope diamond was originally found in india in the middle 1600s. it was sold to king louis the xivth of france. >> reporter: stolen in the revolution, resurfacing in london. finally it was sold to a washington socialite. ledgen legend had it all along that the diamond was cursed, bringing bad luck. when mclean died, new york jeweler harry winston bought it and donated it to the smithsonian. >> wow. nice donation. jeweler harry winston is fabricate ago new setting to be displayed next april. the design was selected in an online vote of more than 100,000 people. that was jim handly reporting. >> not a bad bauble.