i'm lynn berry. >>> hello. i'm lynn berry, and today we begin with dazed and confused.e made his first input before we make any decision. >> reporter: aurora's mayor says the shattered community must now figure out how to work through the tragedy emotionally. >> we've got to try to find a way to go on. if we let this guy win, then we've made a horrible mistake. >> reporter: that will be toughest for families of the deceased and 58 injured in more than 20 hospitals. her mom worries how it may affect her recovery when she learns the magnitude of the attack. >> she asked me the times whether mouthing it or writing it, is everyone else okay. >> reporter: most understand it will be a long time before anything is okay. jay gray, nbc news, centennial, colorado. >>> well, the presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail following the tragic shootings in colorado. what's more cause for stricter gun control laws. mitt romney will be in nevada while president obama heads to oregon. >> reporter: a somber day on the campaign trail following the tragedy in colorado. veteran

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with going to extremes. relief could be in sight for millions of americans who have endured nearly a week of record-breaking heat, but the dangerous heat wave forecast to break this weekend in many parts of the country is still not over yet. nbc's dan sheneman has the story. >> reporter: 92 degrees before 9:00 a.m. the temperature eventually soared to 108, two degrees high of the city's all-time record. the city's heat is blamed for this buckling pavement sfroo from wisconsin to texas, you're seeing streets buckling all over the place. >> reporter: with no relief in sight for friday, they've canceled all of summer's classes. it's much the same for the nation as far north as milwaukee. to make matters worse, hundreds of thousands of americans are in their sixth day without electricity after last week's storms. they're still waiting for relief from the heat and their frustration. >> when they told me july 8th this morning, i cried. it's -- i couldn't believe it. i had actually broken at that point. >> reporter

i'm lynn berry. >>> hello. i'm lynn berry, and today we begin with dazed and confused. he made his first courtroom appearance in colorado on monday. nbc's jay gray reports. >> reporter: at times wide-eyed and seem yig up set, this is the first time james holmes has been seen since his arrest. >> he does look fairly -- seems like demonic or something like that. >> his hair dyed bright red and pinch fitting reports he told police he was the joker after the massacre he was disengaged looking at times like he was struggling to stay awake. formal charges in the case will come next monday. prosecutors say the decision about the death penalty is months away and they'll discuss it with survivors and families of the victims. >> that's a very long process that impacts their lives for years so they will want to have and we will want to get their input before we make any decision. >> reporter: aurora's mayor says the shattered community must now figure out how to work through the tragedy emotionally. >> we've got to try to find a way to go on. if we let this guy win, then we've mad

i'm lynn berry. this is "early today." just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. >>> in london, europe's tallest tower was unveiled in spectacular fashion. last night, the 1016 food shard tower was bathed in light by 12 lasers and 23 power full lights. >> can we rename it? >> to what? >> i don't know. >> it ended the inug gaur rags of a building which looks like a taper of glass which is why it's named shard. german designers came up with a unique and moving way to show off their latest fashions. as part of berlin fashion week, new collections were being presented inside a moving subway. the underground fashion show appropriately starred urban, punc, rock star models strutting their stuff along with tattoos and piercings. >>> finally, there's a concert underway in germany none of us will ever hear finish. it's billed as the world's longest concert. it started in 2001. it's not scheduled to finish until the year 2640. they're playing every note very slowly. the 12th note in the concert began yesterday. it w

i'm lynn berry. this is your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. >>> well, one city park in belgium has a very creative way to take on loitering. loudspeakers have been installed to broadcast classical music. city officials believe the music will deter teenagers and prowlers from hanging around. and while some teens call the music boring others are going to come to park every day simply because it was playing music. maybe not such a good idea. >>> in china teens are showing off their skills at one event at the robotic competition. the kids are trying out their designs in various ways. the highlight, robot soccer games played on a podium the size of a ping-pong table. a mini soccer ball sends out flashes of infrared light traced by robots which execute pre-programmed game procedures based on the ball's movement. >>> and, finally, one furry rodent in kazakhstan has become an overnight sensation. a video of a gopher living under the launch pad of a rocket bound for the international space s

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with final good-byes. as colorado shooting suspect james holmes sits in solitary confinement this morning, relatives of those killed in last friday's theater massacre have begun the grim task of planning their funerals with the first one being held today. nbc's jay gray reports from aurora. >> reporter: the focus on aurora today turned back to the suspect's apartment. prosecutors and james holmes' state-appointed defenders getting their first look inside, while back at the crime scene, a chain link fence went up around the theater, evidence teams continuing their search as mourners in this grieving city search for some comfort in the wake of the tragedy. >> it's just a feeling of sadness and such loss. such loss for all the families. >> reporter: families like the teves. >> he was one of the best sons any man could ever have, and i've been honored to know him. >> reporter: when the shooting started, 24-year-old alex teves threw his mom and girlfriend to the floor an

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with familiar ground. battle lines are being drawn on capitol hill after president obama proposed to extend expiring bush era tax cuts, but not for everyone. this as the republican-led house plans to revisit the nation's health care reform law. nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the latest on this. brian, good morning. >> good morning, lynn. the house is heading forward for what looks like a show vote, but for the republicans, it's an important show in this election year. >> the gentle lady yields back her time. the gentleman from florida's recognized. >> reporter: house republicans head back into battle today against president obama's healthcare reform law. >> they would make you believe that it's all free, but it's not. it's going to cost somebody, and that's going be the american citizen. >> reporter: the house is brushing aside the supreme court decision upholding the law and senate democrats sure to shoot down any repeal. the senate is already look

i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. the day, today on your nbc station. have a great weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> coming up, count down to the olympic games, a live look at london. last minute preparations are under way. we'll tell you why a local olympic icon says tonight's big event is giving her the jitters just ahead. >> reporter: good morning. i'm stephanie chuang in san jose where there could be a green light after months of waiting. details coming up. >> from san jose, here is san francisco, that is the bay bridge all lit up on this friday, july 27th. this is "today in the bay."

i'm lynn berry.hanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. the day, today on your nbc station. happy fourth of july. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with no relief. in many parts of the nation, it was a fourth of july for the record books with record heat as an early summer heat wave continues. meanwhile in the mid-atlantic crews worked through the holiday to get the power back on after last week's deadly storms. nbc's john yang reports from chicago. >> reporter: across the eastern half of the country, americans spent the nation's 236th birthday trying to beat the heat. >> it's definitely really hot. >> reporter: chicago had only its second triple-digit force since it began keeping records. >> it is good and hot. >> reporter: milwaukee set an all-time record high for the day as did madison, wisconsin, south bend, indiana, and paducah, kentucky. st. paul, minnesota's scheduled half marathon was cut to five miles. in philadelphia's fourth of july parade, marchers sweltered as they passed independence hall. similar scenes in st. louis where they hit triple digits for a full week. a fire truck helped cool off specta

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with a possible explanation. new information has surfaced about the suspected gunman in last week's colorado theater shooting that claimed 12 lives. law enforcement officials say james holmes mailed a package to the school he attended containing detailed writings about killing people. nbc's jay gray has details. >> reporter: federal agents tell nbc news, james holmes, the suspect in the movie theater massacre, told them where to find what could be key evidence in the case. the former neuroscience graduate student apparently told investigators about a package he had sent to the university of colorado's medical campus in aurora. police found that package on monday unopened in the school's mail room. inside they discovered what's described as handwritten details about killing people. as the investigation continues, so does the mourning here. >> i'm overwhelmed by the tragedy of all of this and the senselessness of all of it, and, i mean, good people taken. >> reporter:

i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. have a good one. >> reporter: president obama spends one last night in the bay area before heading out from sfo this morning. i'm christie smith. coming up i'll tell you how the fund-raisers went and what's next. >> plus, an unsettling court appearance for the suspect in the colorado shooting spree. what is next for james holmes. >> a south bay family torn apart by immigration laws. how a community is rallying around them to help. >> a live look outside on this tuesday morning, beautiful bay bridge. all aglow. this is "today in the bay."

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with a deadly confrontation. the man who shot and killed trayvon martin is speaking out for the first time. in an interview with fox news channel sean hannity, george zimmerman, who's free on bail while awaiting his trial, gave his account of what happened on that fateful february night. nbc's jay gray has the story. >> reporter: his message was clear and direct. >> i'm not a racist, and i'm not a murderer. >> reporter: in an interview on fox news channel hannity's show, george zimmerman discussed in detail the night he shot and killed trayvon martin, saying it was the unarmed teenager that initiated the deadly confrontation. >> he started bashing my head into the concrete sidewalk. i was -- as soon as he broke my nose, i started yelling for help. >> reporter: it was during that fight, he says, that both he and martin reached for the gun strapped to zimmerman's waist, a gun he fired one time, taking the teenager's life. zimmerman said he didn't regret following mart

i'm lynn berry, this is "first look."itt romney continues to stumble his way across the globe. this time drawing the anger of the palestinians, who are calling his most recent comments "racist. "the question, has this foreign trip done romney's candidacy more harm than good? >>> syria's top diplomat in london defects, taking a shot at the asass regime out the door and nearly 200,000 flee syria's largest city as fighting between government forces and rebels hit

i'm lynn berry. those story, and more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> and we begin this morning with dead on arrival. today the house will vote for the 31st time to repeal president obama's health care reform law. the vote comes despite the supreme court's recent landmark ruling that the law is largely constitutional, and zero chance the senate will go along. nbc's brian mooar joins us with more details. good morning. >> reporter: hi, lynn. it is strictly for show but plays to the base of both parties. the house is voting today to repeal president obama's health care law. >> we are standing here for the american people against the largest middle-class tax increase in the history of the united states, and we will not stop until we are ultimately successful. >> reporter: democrats point out this is the 31st house vote on obamacare. >> one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. >> reporter: the next big fight is, who gets a

i'm lynn berry. here are some of the top stories. house report obtained by the "associated press" finds that countrywide financial, which was at the center of the foreclosure crisis, got around the law and influenced members of congress. six current and former members of the house and senate that received discoted loans include both democrats and republicans >>> in mexico, election officials say they are recounting votes from more than half the ballot boxes used in the presidential elections. inconsistencies were found in the vote tallies. >>> palestinian officials have agreed to exhume the body of yasser arafat. >>> the rockets red glare filled the sky above the hudson's red river during the macy's fireworks display. it was beautiful. mobs of new yorkers and tourists watched the colorful spectacle of 40,000 fireworks celebrating america's independence day. >>> here is your "first look" as this morning's dish of scrambled politics. the "los angeles times" reports some lawmakers are calling on the house to pass a bill that would requi

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> and we're going to begin this morning with familiar ground. battle lines being drawn on capitol hill after president obama proposed to extend expiring bush-era tax cuts. but not for everyone. this as the republican-led house prepares to revisit the nation's health care reform law. nbc's brian moore joins us from washington with the latest on all of this. brian, good morning. >> reporter: the house is heading forward with what looks like a show vote. for the republicans it's an important show in this election year. >> the gentle lady field yields back her time -- >> reporter: house republicans head back into battle today against president obama's health care reform law. >> it would make you believe it was all free. but it's not. it's going to cost somebody, and that's going to be the american citizens. >> reporter: the house is brushing aside the supreme court decision upholding the law. senate democrats, sur

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we are going to begin this morning with no relief. in many parts of the nation, it was a fourth of july for the record books with record heat as in early summer heat wave continues. in the mid-atlantic, crews worked through the holiday to get the power back on after last week's deadly storms. john yang reports from chicago. >> reporter: across the eastern half of the country, americans spent the nation's 236th birthday trying to beat the heat. >> it is definitely really hot. >> reporter: chicago had only its second triple digit score since they began keeping records. >> it is good and hot out here. >> reporter: milwaukee set an all-time record high as did madison, wisconsin, south bend, indiana, and paducah, kentucky. and st. paul's half marathon was cut to five miles. philadelphia's july fourth parade, they sweltered as they passed independence hall. similar scenes in downtown st. louis which hit triple digits. the oppressive temperatures with highs

i'm lynn berry. those stories and are straight ahead. this is first look on msnbc. this morning, with heat exhaustion, portions of the country are waking up to the start of the summer's fourth heat wave this morning. while there's relief in sight for some areas by the end of the week, the effects of this year's dry, scorching conditions will be with us for weeks and months to come. nbc's chris clackum has details. >> the dry lake beds confirm what federal forecasters say. nearly 60% of the country is in some stage of drought condition. >> the heat has been a big factor. the lack of rainfall combined with that have created a tremendous deficit in moisture across a vast swath of the lower 48 states. >> it's so dry, more than 1,000 counties in 26 states have been declared disaster areas. the biggest such declaration ever. mostly farmers are feeling it for now. more than half of the corn crops in trouble and little left to harvest. >> it's probably going to cost more in fuel than what you'll end up getti

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. and we're going to begin this morning with that holiday heat. in seven states and the district of columbia, more than 1 million families are waking up to a fifth day without any power and air conditioning on this independence day. fireworks displays are being cancelled to let police and fire crews continue relief efforts in a region where the weather will only get hotter through the holiday. nbc's steve handelsman has more. >> reporter: it's miserable on margaret drive. in tacoma park, maryland. a tree that tore down wires friday has not been touched. some homes got power back, then lost it. and the pets are sweltering in lynn quarrel's home. >> first of all, i'm definitely worried about my cats because, i mean, heat isn't good for any animal and a lot of them are suffering right now. i'm more worried about myself. >> reporter: maggie sterner, blacked out since friday, got power from neighbors till theirs went o

i'm lynn berry, and here are some of your top headlines this morning.ecretary of state hillary clinton officially expressed regret of the accidental killing of 24 pakistani troops last fachlt pakistan has reopened supply routes in afghanistan now that the u.s. has offered that apology. >>> the food and drug administration has approved the first over-the-counter oral home hiv test. it produces results within 20 to 40. >>> bryson was found behind the wheel of his carafe suffering a seizure. >>> clayton osbun was found not guilty of interfering with the flight crew by reason of insanity. he will be sent to a federal mental health facility for further examination. >>> and what do you thing of this? the national oceanic and atmosphere igsic administration has declared a statement denying mermaids. did we need to clear this up? it came after an animal planet show on mermaids which foolied some viewers with images. >>> u.s. markets will are closed for the fourth of july market. the dow closed at 12,943 after adding 72 points. the s&p was up 8. the nasdaq gaine

i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc.eist starts right now. >>> conservatives turn up the heat on mitt romney to release those tax returns no matter what's in them. the question is, will he do it? we could find out this week. meanwhile historically bad drought conditions cover about half the states in this country with worries now about the impact of global food supply. the question is, when will the rain come for those desperate farmers? and it's official, linsanity is over in new york city. the question is, are the knicks fools for not hanging onto the one good thing to happen to them over the last decade? it's "way too early" for this.

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with familiar ground. battle lines are being drawn on capitol hill after president obama planned to extend the bush era tax cuts, but not for everyone. this as they plan to revisit the nation's health care reform law. nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the latest on all of this. brian, good morning. >> good morning, lynn. the house is headed forward for what looks like a show vote, but for the republicans, it's an important show in this electionee. >> the gentlelady yields back her time. >> reporter: house republicans head back into office today. >> they make you believe it's all free, but it's not. it's going to cost somebody, and that's going be the american citizen. >> the house is brushing aside the decision upholding the law and democrats sure to shoot down any appeal. it's over extending the bush era tax cut. >> the economic consequences of taking more money from successful people. >> reporter: senate republicans are pushing back to expend it for one year, but only for those making less

let's go. >>> welcome back to "first look," i'm lynn berry.yrian activists are reporting a new massacre of more than 100 people yesterday in central hama province. the "new york times" says there are reports of more than 200 killed. >> "the washington post" reports first lady michelle obama was allegedly a target of a threat by a police officer in the district of columbia. he allegedly said he would shoot the first lady and use his phone to retrieve a picture of the firearm he would use. >> secretary of state hillary clinton urging talks on the south china sea. he urged talks over conflicting claims for the strategic water way. >> in france the search for missing claimers continues on mount blanc after an avalanche yesterday that killed nine. a dozen others were injured and four are unaccounted for. >> and in australia an extremely rare pink diamond is now on display at the mel bourne museum. the argyle pink jubilee is more than 8 carats and it's the largest ever found in australia. here's your first look at this morning's dish of "scrambled p

i'm lynn berry, and today we begin with drying up. an unsettling new forecast predicts this historic drought stifling more than half the country will likely continue into fall. the bad news for food prices down the road, but as nbc's chris clackum reports, there may be a silver lining right now. >> reporter: contrary to what you may think or may have been told, it may be months before the worst drought in 50 years drives up food prices. in fact, meat prices are headed down. >> we would anticipate in the short term actually food prices for beef, poultry, pork may go down a bit. >> reporter: there's a lot of livestock being rushed to market because there's not enough corn or feed for them to eat, which means meat prices may eventually go up, just not right now. >> this beef today may be $4 a pound. it could easily be $5 or $6 a pound a year from now. >> reporter: however the u.s. agricultural secretary is worrying about short-term gouging on grocery items. >> and we want to make sure people understand that now's not the time they should

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with romney's exit from bain capital. a political firestorm erupted thursday after the boston globe revealed security and exchange filings showing romney listed as bain capital's ceo long after he was supposed to have left the company to run the olympics in 1999. it named romney as chief executive three years after he took the olympic job. the paper said documents filed through 2002 listed romney as, quote, sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president. during the period due to losses of investments as well as investigations of outsourcing have occurred. his campaign insists he was no longer at the firm and wasn't part of the decision-making. a bain statement yesterday said due to his sudden departure in 1999 it took time to transfer ownership to his successors which continued to show him listed in many filings. well they pounce odden the story calling it the, quote, big bain lie. obama campaign manager stephanie cutter charged the presumptive republican nominee he may have even engaged il

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with a deja vu debate. the house of republicans voted again to repeal the affordable health care act. while the senate will not debate or vote on the appeal, the house insisted on making its election year point. nbc's steve handelsman has more. >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: it's a vote on obama health care that will not change the law. >> we all know this bill will pass the house and die in the senate. >> reporter: but republicans want to show their resolve to kill what they call obama care. >> this bill's making our economy worse and driving up the cost of health care and making it harder for small businesses to hire new workers. >> reporter: democrats warned against repeat. >> it closes a door to wellness that's now just being opened to over 30 million americans. >> reporter: house republican leaders have held just 30 votes to help kill the obama law it's time for the republicans to end their relentless session of taking away health care benefits for millions of americans. >> reporter: but like cong

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with dead on arrival. today the house will vote for the 31st time to repeal president obama ee's health care law. zero chance the senate will go along. n nbc's brian mooar joins us for those details. >>> hi, lynn. it is strictly for show, but it plays to the base of both parties. the house is voting today to repeal president obama's health care law. >> we are standing here for the american people against the largest middle-class tax increase in the history of the united states, and we will not stop until we are ultimately successful. >> democrats point out this is the 31st vote on health care. >> one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. >> the next big fight, who gets an compensation of the bush era tax cut. >> give mitt romney another tax break, that would cost about a trillion dollars, and we can't afford it. >> the idea -- i mean the very idea of raising taxes on small business and job creators at the very time we need more jobs is the sort

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with a taxing situation. presumptive republican presidential candidate mitt romney has been under increasing pressure from the obama campaign to lease additional years of tax returns. now romney is even dismissing calls from within his own party. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on this. tracie, good morning to you. >> hi, lynn. good morning, everyone. it's not just democrats as you mentioned who want to see more of what romney has earned in recent years but now prominent republicans as well. mississippi's governor and alabama's govern calling on him to release those returns. no word from the romney camp that any further release is on the way, and they are not alone. texas governor rick perry, a former republican rival says that romney should be as open as possible. meantime on the other side we've got republicans criticizing the obama campaign for what they're saying about mitt romney. john mccain calls the campaign disgraceful for targeting those tax returns and romney's time with bain.

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with heat exhaustion. portions of the country are waking up to the start of the summer's fourth heat wave this morning and while there is relief in sight for some of the areas by the end of this week, the effect of the dry scorching conditions will be with us for weeks and months to come. nbc's chris clackum has details. >> reporter: the parched dry earth and lake beds confirm what forecasters now say. nearly 60% of the country is in some stage of drought condition. >> the heat has been a big factor, the lack of rainfall combined with that have created a tremendous deficit in moisture across a vast swath of the lower 48 states. >> reporter: it's so dry, more than 1,000 counties in 26 states have been declared disaster areas. the biggest such declaration ever. mostly farmers are feeling it for now. more than half of the corn crops in trouble and little left to harvest. >> it's probably going to cost more in fuel and oil will end up getting out of it. >> the soybeans, you know, are a little more resilient th

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with damage control. this was supposed to be mitt romney's debut on the world stage. instead after questioning whether london is up to task for hosting the 2012 olympics, mitt romney's camp is doing battle with a foe arguably more than at home, the english press. brian mooar from washington joins us with those details. good morning. >>> good morning. mitt romney has been careful not to criticize and he probably should have added london to the list. from mitt romney, a gold medal gaffe, questioning london's readiness for the olympics. >> there were a few things that were disconcerting, stories about the private security firm not having enough people. >> reporter: those headlines are what he hoped not to see on his overseas trip. instead he was forced to practice a little diplomacy. >> shows imagination and forethought and a lot of organization and i expect the games to be highly successful. >> reporter: the white house says president obama has london's back. >> he's clear and has the utmost confidence in o

i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. the day, today on your nbc station. have a good one. >>> good morning. i'm bob redell. we'll take you live to san francisco with why this morning's uc board of regents meeting is generating so much interest among the undead. that story, coming up. >>> i could hear the crackling of the trees, and i still hear it in my mind. when it hit -- >> five years later, the survivor of a deadly helicopter crash over hawaii shares her story. it's an interview you'll see only on nbc bay area. >>> also, teachers getting paid more for teaching certain subjects. it's all part of a program introduced by president obama. what bay area teachers think about all of

i'm lynn berry, this is "first look."itt romney continues to stumble his way across the globe. this time drawing the anger of the palestinians, who are calling his most recent comments "racist. "the question, has this foreign trip done romney's candidacy more harm than good? >>> syria's top diplomat in london defects, taking a shot at the asass regime out the door and nearly 200,000 flee syria's largest city as fighting between government forces and rebels hit an all-time high. >>> finally, morrow olympic gold for the united states. matt grevers and missy franklin dominate in the pool. can michael phelps and ryan lochte reclaim dominance after a few disappointing races? it's "way too early" for this. good morning. i'm mike barnicle, this is "way too elderly," the show that just finished doing laps at the senior center down the street. glad you're joining us. as always, let us know why are you awake, shoot an e-mail at waytooearly@msnbc.com o or @williegeist. or text the word awake followed by your response to 692639. and