this morning on "early today," the next step. the white house works up plans on how to punish a rebellious iran. shocking survey. a grim poll surfaces on facebook about president obama. nd that's got to hurt. conan o'brien, the funny man who cracks up late night audiences cracked his head on stage. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

hello, and good morning, everyone. i dan kloeffler. and today we begin with weighing the options. u.s. officials are drafting plans for new sanctions that would take a big economic toll on iran. that is, unless the country comes clean about the controversial nuclear program. while the measures are still under review, the international sanctions would likely target iran's energy infrastructure. a huge critical component of its economy. iran, meanwhile, continues to flex its military muscle. two days of war games ended monday after the country launched its longest range missile. the white house calls that move provocative. north korea, meanwhile, is also raising tension over its own nuclear ambitions. unlike iran, however, the north is on the record about its push for atomic weapons. following its nuclear test last may, pyongyang says he will only stop development if the united states bans the policy of

confrontation. speaking to the u.n. general assembly, a top official blasted the body's security council which approved expanded sanctions directly following that test. although the north says its nuclear ambitions -- the u.s. expects it to sell its nuclear intelligence overseas. there are new reports this morning to attack targets in new york city following the arrest and indictment of 24-year-old najibullah zazi, an official tells the "associated press," three possible accomplices have been identified. zazi's accused of buying up beauty products whose chemicals can be used to make bombs. although the identities are not being revealed. they are said to be from new york city. new census figures shows the recent economic crisis is hitting those americans with the least to spare the hardest. the dwindling paychecks of 13.2% of americans living at or below the poverty level looks even smaller when compared with the

wealthiest among us. now, those who make more than $130,000 a year. that wealthy group now makes 11.4 times the average amount that america's poorest family makes. also hit hard, middle-income families. their median income fell nearly $2,000 last year, that's the lowest level since 1997. facebook is getting some help from the secret service. and trying to figure out who was behind a poll asking users whether president obama should be assassinated. the survey posted over the weekend gave respondents four choices no, maybe, yes, and yes if he cuts my health care. they cast votes in that poll, which was quickly taken down by facebook. now, here's a look at other stories making news "early today." a new jersey police officer has been indicted after the brutal beating of a schizophrenic man last may. a surveillance camera caught that cop throwing the man to the

pavement and striking him multiple times. the victim was arrested for tent to purchase drugs. that officer now faces charges of misconduct and assault. firefighters in california rescued two men trapped under a massive palm tree there. the men were cutting up the tree when it shifted and pinned them in the trench. officials say that part of that tree weighed between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds. after more than an hour, though, the men were finally pulled out. both suffered broken bones but are listed in stable condition. some expert caninesre strutting their stuff in iowa. police dog across the u.s. are competing for the title of top canine in the country. the annual event judges the dogs in obedience, agilily, and suspect apprehension. handlers are also judged. and a strange sighting when an unusual traveler made its way through the terminal. this guy, dressed as a hiker. a 7-foot moose statue wheeled through the gate.

security had to give him a pa down. it's now on the way to vermont for a moose festival. and now for a look of the national and regional weather, here's wmaq from chicago with your forecast. >> you know when people tell you to jump into a cold pool because it'll be easier rather than easing in? >> okay. right, is that what you're giving us a hint about this forecast? >> jump in. get ready for fall. that's exactly what we have for much of the country. yesterday, areas like chicago and minneapolis, we're feeling it already. it was very windy, gusting to about 56 miles per hour. the lake, i heard, was really choppy. low pressure system making its slow way off to the north and east. and with it, though, comes that cooler more atom eer atumal wea. the cold has made it into the atlantic. a few rain showers still in parts of northwestern parts of new york and also pennsylvania. the gusts, not as bad today.

had a gust earlier this morning, 28 in detroit. now, as far as your forecast for this day. if you're getting up thinking way am i going to have to run into? very nice and warm, mix of sun and clouds. tell that to chicago, though, they'll have a high today of only 58, 71 here along the east coast for both new york and washington. that is a look at your regional forecast. let's get a forecast a little closer to home. and if you're watching us in burlington, vermont, you're getting ready. well, we're going to have more clouds there than anything else. 62 will be the high. more sunshine, charleston, you're included in tha as well. well, dan, that is a look at your tuesday forecast. again, just go ahead and jump in. >> because we don't have any choice, really. good morning, thank you for that, ginger. theow closes in on a milestone, xerox gets ready to pounce, and a new doll that is a

far cry from barbie. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, taking one for the team. conan o'brien gets a few laughs from a stunt gone wrong. the angels clinch, and cowboys fans get their money's worth. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today," everyone. i'm dan kloeffler, and here are your top headlines this tuesday morning. lawyer for roman polanski says the film maker is in a fighting mood. polanski who is now in jail is planning to battle u.s. attempts to extradite him from switzerland. polanski was arrested in zurich this weekend in a decade's old case which he admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. the philippines is bracing for two new storms as it recovers. bodies from another storm that

has now killed 240 people. the homes of nearly 2 million people, they have all been flooded. officials have called for international help saying that the country may not be able to withstand these new weather systems brewing out of the pacific. mike mullen is recommending that the military end its ban that keeps women from serving in submarines. women are allowed on surface ships, but critics say submarines are different. and in turkey, a van packed with beehives and a truck collided, sending those bees into attack mode. they started going after the crash victims and the rescuers themselves. one person died from that accident. 20 others taken to the hospital with injuries. now, here's an early look at one of your top health headlines on msnbc.com. new research shows more than half a million children each year have bad reactions from widely used medicines and it results in medical treatment and sometimes hospitalization. the study shows children 5 and

under are most commonly affected and that penicillin and other ant biotics are among the biggest culprits in these cases. doctors recommend paying close attention when children are given a first-time medication. for more on this story, check us out on msnbc.com. now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day today. the dow opens at 9,789 after spiking 124 points on monday. the s&p rose 18, the nasdaq gained 39 points. taking a look at overseas trading this morning. in tokyo, the nikkei climbed 90 points, the hank seng leapt 424 points. the dow is closer to that magical 10,000 mark after a decent rally yesterday thanks to corporate deal making. word broke early after plans to acquire computer affiliated services for $6.4 billion. sending shares of that company soaring 14%. meanwhile, shares of xerox, they

sank 14%. in another $6 billion deal, abbott laboratories got a 2% boost after announcing it will widen its footprint through the purchase of solvay's drug unit. the dow had its biggest gain in more than a month the best quarter since 1998. analysts looking ahead to when the dow might cross 10,000. apple shares rose 2% following news that its popular iphone will hit the shelves in china and france in the months ahead. cisco systems led the day on the nasdaq. the network equipment maker gained more than 4% after an annual upgrade citing demand from the telecom market. dow chemicals received federal approval to sell off morton salt. that's all in an effort to raise funds to buy rome and haas down the road. the average price for a gallon of regular gas dropped to $2.49 on monday, that's $1.13

less than it costs the same time last year. investors will be watching later this year when an updated consumer confidence report is released. consumer spending accounts for 2/3 of the nation's economy. and finally, you know that wildly popular line of $95 dolls that's reached cult-like status among the 12 and under set? well, you know things are bad when the newest doll to represent a significant period in american history is homeless. that's right. when a recently released american girl doll is yet another victim of the current economic crisis. but the kicker in all of this she still costs $95. no coupon. the panthers are left licking their wounds after a monday night run-in with the cowboys. plus, th anaheim angels are flying high. fresh from clinching their third al west title. your early morning sports

headlines are straight ahead. and much of the country going to feel much more like fall. your regional forecast is coming up. you're wching "early today."

good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm barbara harrison. straight ahead on "news 4 today," big brother on the rails and on the roads. why there's a new push for more surveillance along metro. >> plus, the fight against the swine flu intensifies. how one local hospital is trying to prevent a potential outbreak. >> then, it's many parents' worst fear. when their teenager wants a car, but there's new guidelines ou good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today."

in sport sports, the dallas cowboys got down to business delivering their first victory in their brand new billion dollar stadium. here's fred roggin with an early look at all of your sports headlines. good morning. in the eyes of jerry jones, the new stadium is now complete as the cowboys picked up their first win in the state of the art stadium. cowboys took the lead in the third quarter. up the middle for six and dallas jumped on top, 10-7, cowboys ice it late in the fourth, picked off jake and took it 27 yards for the score. cowboys are 21 in the second half to meet the panthers 21-7. pennington expected to miss the rest of the season. he'll make his first nfl start this sunday for the dolphins. baseball, the angels wrapped up their fifth division title for the win against the rangers. started in the first with a two-run homer and never looked back. won 11-0 and let that celebration begin.

they are the al champs. if you remember, aiden hart was tragically killed by a drunk driver this past april. texas lost, the red sox could've clinched with a win against the blue ys but it wasn't meant to be. gave the jays a 7-3 lead with a three-shot over. braves are still on the hunt for the nl wild card after the win against the marlins. his 18th homer of the year gave atlanta a 3-0 lead, braves picked up a win now just two behind the idol rockies. after the champs got more than they could handle from the astros. shot off the wall that drove in tejada. 3 for 4 with an rbi, astros won it 8-2, the phillies' magic number remains at three. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin.

hugh jackman breaks character to remind the audience about theater etiquette. plus, we'll tell you about a march of the penguins that's happening right here in our own ckyard. you're watching "early today."

well, welcome back to "early

today," i'm meteorologist ginger zee and the fall is on. in detroit, 51, cincinnati too, a little breezy there, as well. your forecast today, very nice down to the south and east, a mix of sun and clouds, like the low 70s and upper 60s here along the east coast. now, of course, you have to check out our eastern event of the day. and if you're watching us on whdh 7 news in boston, be brave while getting up close and personal with the beehives. you can see the amazing insects at work. that's at the bee exhibit and that's your eastern event of the day. >> and good to remind it's glassed in. >> right. so there's no problem there. >> sign the waiver as uh you enter into this exhibit. thank you, ginger. now an early look at this morning's headlines and entertainment. the "tonight show" host conan o'brien i back at work after a scare during friday's show. while he was taping his show, o'brien was racing teri hatcher when he slipped and hit his head

so hard he suffered a minor concussion. he's already, though, doctors checked him out. he managed a few laughs last night from that whole ordeal. well, did you know that the late paul newman actually liked being on the enemies list of president nixon. newman's daughter shared that detail about the actor who died a year ago at the age of 83. the woman behind the beatles hit "lucy in the sky with diamonds." lucy was a childhood friend of john lennon's son. she provided the inspiration for the song. she was 46 years old. finally, if you see a play starring hugh jackman, make sure your cell phone is off. jackman stopped production of his latest broadway show to tell a patron, turn off that ringing phone. >> wow. >> he just stopped it. daniel craig's standing right there and they're in the middle of the scene. >> so if i did this, oh, hold on, dan. >> i'll cut it right here, ginger. don't make me do it.

>> i won't. i won't. >> hugh jackman, you don't interrupt wolverine. >> i'd have to give him a pass. this comes to us from nbc 10 in providence, rhode island, where in connecticut a pair of painting penguins are leaving their footprints on the art world. their toes lathered in paint, the two penguins create masterpieces by just waddling across the tiles. they aren't just expressing their arttiistic side, they're raising money. sales will go towards penguin conservations. very cute. and i botched the name of that. >> oh, well. i was just trying to do a penguin over here. >> pawkitac. >> well, we expect you to know so much. >> i know, and the words scroll right through, i should know it, right?

i'm dan kloeffler, this is "early today." yourst you're watching at a very early morning on the 29th of september 2009. 4:54 is our time right now. 56 degrees here in the nation's capital. welcome to "news 4 today." good morning. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm barbara harrison. we're glad you're with us this morning. we want to start things off, as we always do, with a look at weather and traffic. we begin with weather. tom, what's going on out there? >> well, it's really gotten chillier overnight. we have the autumn constellations. you can reach up and play with them if you want, they're that close. here's a look at radar. no precipitation. off to a clear start. only in the upper 40s in prince george's county, parts of montgomery and fairfax. arlington's in the mid-50s. mid-50s in washington and near the bay. i'll have your forecast for the day coming up at 5:01. stay tuned. >> thanks, tom. >> thanks very much. we'll go to ashley linder now and the news 4 traffic network.

good morning, ashley. >> hey, ashley. >> good morning. as you can see here, we are starting off to a quiet morning, no big problems around the area. this is 270 and father hurley. the headlights continuing southbound incident free right now. everything in great working order. overnight construction zones are pretty much a thing of the past. back to you. >> thank you. >> looks like a little fog out there this morning, ashley. >> a little haze out there. nothing too bad, though. >> thank you. >> thanks very much. here's a look now at the top stories happening today. president obama meets in the white house situation room today toiscuss the war in afghanistan. he'll be joined by general david petraeus, general stanley mcchrystal, defense secretary robert gates and secretary of state hillary clinton. they'll talk about military strategy and the need for more troops in recent weeks, there has been pressure from some top democrats to withdraw from afghanistan. >> terror suspect najibullah zazi is expected to appear in a new york city courtroom today. he faces charges that he conspired to use weapons of mass

destruction. the 24-year-old airport van driver from denver has denied any wrongdoing. investigators believe he and at least two others had ties to a plot to bomb transit targets in the new york city area. >> a health forum will be held in virginia this morning for local businesses trying to get ready for a potential swine flu outbreak. local and national health officials will be on hand to help businesses create customized preparedness plans. the forum begins at 8:00 this morning at the key bridge marriott in arlington. >> prepations are under way at fedex field where u2 will be performing tonight. yesterday workers began setting up this massive and elaborate site in the middle of the field. tonight's show starts at 7:00. to accommodate the large crowd, metro will keep the morgan boulevard station near fedex field open one hour later. well, if you or your children suffer from food allergies you know that putting together recipes can be pretty much a challenge. >> that's why one pennsylvania mom decided to make some changes

so that her family would eat a little bit differently. and now she's hoping to inspire other families across the country to do the same. we have the story. >> reporter: rich and amy have their hands full with three young children. but besides the normal challenges that go with being parents, all of their children have an array of food allergies. >> i had to change our whole way of eating. >> reporter: finding food with no gluten, no dairy, no eggs, soy or nuts wasn't easy so amy cooked up her own solution. >> everything out there tasted bad or it had 35 ingredients that, you know, weren't healthy to me, to what i wanted to put in my children's bodies. >> reporter: amy did some research and started experimenting in the kitchen. her secret to success for people on a restricted diet might surprise you. good old home cooking. >> really simple, good, healthy, you know, ingredients. they're often gluten free and it lends itself to that type of cooking. >> reporter: amy's specialties

include gluten free chicken nuggets, gluten free rice pasta with homemade tomato sauce and turkey meatballs. check out this dish. >> i think our chicken dish is finished. >> reporter: free range chicken sauteed with fresh spinach and sun dried tomatoes cooked to perftion. you can taste the ingredients. it's so good. to go with the chicken, amy also prepared a salad with spinach and tomatoes. >> they call it super greens, so it takes about 5,000 years to the incas. filled with protein. >> reporter: delicious and perfect for someone on a gluten-free diet or anyone who just wants to eat heelt yai. on the sweet side, who can resist these chocolate cupcakes topped with vegan chocolate chips? obviously this is the test. and by the frosting on their faces, it looks like these cupcakes are a big hit. but you don't cook food that tastes this good that