lynn. >> tracy potts for us in washington. tracy, thank you. >>> and across the country, american voters will be back in the polls today in the last major lineup of primary races before november's midterm electrics. and there are eight races with the most of the focus on the gop and the battle between party regulators and newcomers from the tea party. among the hot matchups, delaware senate race. mainstream republicans there looking to avoid another tea party win and they are making a big push for nine term representative mike cassle. until recently, he was favored over christine o'donnell, but now she's got the backing of former vice presidential candidate sarah palin as well as the tea party. delaware regulators hope to avoid a replay of the stunning alaska victory in the content. >>> another race to watch, that's new hampshire's senate primary. ovit la mon tang is in a battle with kelly iodie. she now appears to be facing stiff competition. although ao did i e has the blessing of palin. >>> and for the democrats, new york re

lynn. >> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> well, no stranger to powerful storms, folks in north carolina are on the watch this morning as hurricane earl winds its way toward the east coast of the united states. evacuations began today in the state where residents and tourists are both bracing for the worst. nbc's jay gray has the very latest from north carolina's outer banks. jay, good morning to you. looks like the calm before the storm. >> good morning. you're exactly right. i can't think of a better way to start the day, a beautiful sunrise here along the shoreline. what we've noticed over the next 12 to 24 hours, the surf is picking up a bit. higher waves. not what they expect in the next couple of days where they could see swells up to 20 feet here. they will also get tropical storm to hurricane-strength wind here, even though it doesn't look like at this point earl is ing to make landfall here. another big problem will be heavy rains in some areas, up for four inches an hour which would lead to flas

nbc's tracie potts joins us with a first look at this book by a veteran journalist. >> reporter: thisl comeout very soon. this is a book by bob woodward of watergate. it's called "obama's wars." he talks about whatas going on inside the white house as they tried to figure out what to do in afghanistan. as president obama was ramping up troops, tripling the number in afghanistan, some of the top national security advisers, members of his team were really concerned about whether or not that would actually work. in fact, one of thos who expressed doubts according to the book was richard holbrooke, the special envoy to afghanistan. the other thing is the infighting documented in the book among some members of the team. biden and holbrooke. he called him egotistical. apparently quite a bit of infighting between the top advisers there. >> apparently bob woodward interviewed the president for this ok. any reaction from the whit house? >> none so far. he interviewed several top administration officials. the white house givi no comments o this. this all sort of broke out. "new york times" got

veronica. >> tracie potts live for us this morning in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> american students and teachers could be in for jor changes. this i a special week of programming on concerns over the education system on "today." the president talks about what he wants to see happening at scools including identifying teachers who do well and getting rid of those that don't >> i think we should have longer school years. we now have our kids go to school about a month less than most other advanced countries. and that month makes a dinners. >> don't forget, our coverage of education nation continues on the "today" show and on nbc nightly news right here on this nbc station. for more resources and information, check out our ecial website, educationnation.com. >>> palestinian president mahmoud abbas says he will wait one week before deciding whether or not to quit middle east peace talks with israel. that development comes after the united states, france, england and england all expressed concern over the west bank. meahile, george mitchl has been s

nbc tracie potts has more for us in washington. good morning to you, tracie. >> veronica, good morning. we're now starting to hear a tough love message from president obama, aimed not at republicans, but aimed at his own party. he said buck up and he called republicans -- rath democrats irresponsible if they're sitting on their hands complaining. he said it's inexcusable to sit on the delines. we heard some of this in wisconsin yesterday at a huge college rally, trying to fight what polls and pundits say is apathy. he told students we can't let the country fall backwards because we didn't care enoughto fight. he's doing this four-state swing through several states around the country trying to drum up support because polls are showing that democrats cod be in trouble as we head into november's elections. in fact, we have a new nbc "wall treet journal" poll take a look at this. republicans now have a three-point lead over democrats, but that's down from a nine-point lead just last month. and looking at this question, who should contro

nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the latest. good morning, tracie. >> amara, good morning. what to do about taxes? the senate has confirmed what the house said, that this is not going to happen before you go to the polls in november. senate democrats got together, but could not agree on how to move forward. the issue is whether or not to preserve the bush tax cuts for everyone or just for the middle class and let taxes go up on the wealthy. it is a political hot potato headed into november, not one that the democrats now say they want to touch before you go to the polls. however, what they did back, a small business bill, $30 billion, a new fund to help small businesses get loans. this was mainly a democratic issue. the idea here is that if businesses have more cash, they'll hire people, buy equipment, expand and help pull this economy out of a slump. the gop called it a bailout. their plan is their new pledge to america. a government that's too big is something they say they want to get rid of if they are elected in november. th

lynn. >>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thanks. >>> in louisiana, investigators will begin examining a key piece of evidence in the government's attempt to get to the bottom of the gulf oil disaster. over the weekend, bp successfully retrieved its failed blowout preventer and put in a new one. however this labor day, there's still more work to be done. frances coe has more. >> reporter: labor day will be the start of major work at the site of the nation's worst environmental disaster. >> we should be ready to move forward with the relief well sometime next week. >> reporter: the permanent plugging of the well comes as officials say the danger of another leak goes away. >> this well does not constitute a threat to the gulf of mexico at this point. >> reporter: sealing the well is just one task at hand. the other is the investigation which took a crucial step over the weekend. bp crews hoisted the failed blowout preventer, a 300-ton, 50 foot tall piece of evidence, now headed to a nasa facility in louisiana for analysi

tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the house could vote on this today. more than 100 democrats and unions oppose paying for it by cutting food stamps. 71 degrees on tv hill. the fda makes if the decision point how to restrict avandia. >> massages are relaxing. but they could do more than help you de stress. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think of katy perry's controversial appearance on "sesame street?" e-mail your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> overall will looking pretty good on your morning commute. good on your morning commute. >> good morning. it is 20 minutes before 6:00 a.m. it is foggy outside downtown. the temperature is 70 degrees right now. there are some upper 60's as well. we're dealing with fog of this morning. 90-minute delays at queen anne's county school. temperatures today will be rising from the 60's and 70's now with a lot of humidity, or least some humidity, we will be rising into the 90's for highs. we will detail that coming up in just a few minutes. >> the di

>> tracie potts there for us in washington. thank you. >>> an american hiker, sarah shourd is free this morning after spending more than a year in an iranian prison. but the story is not over. two other american hikers still being held on espionage charges. andrea mitchell filed this report from tehran late last night. >> reporter: it was a happy ending tonight for sarah shourd, the 32-year-old american hiker, released from an iranian prison and flown immediately to oman, who put up the $500,000 that iran was demanding for her bail >> on behalf of myself and my family, if anything, i'm standing here today because of the efforts of many people and many governments. >> reporter: she was reunited there with her mother, nora, who with the other two mothers had been lobbying and begging for the release of their children, saying that they had simply wandered across the border, an unmarked border in iran from iraq and that they were certainly not spies. but the prosecutor has announced that not only are there charges of espionage agai

lynn. >> tracy potts there for us in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> well, families who believe their loved ones were in their final resting places at arlington national cemetery, well, that is not the case. at least two bodies were in the wrong place. a recent army report detailed mismanagement that led to the handling of graves. a later senate report put that b number up to 6,600. since the army's findings, defense officials have received about 1100 calles from worried families. >>> in an nbc news schusive, andrea mitchell was granted an interview inside the iranian presidential palace wednesday. they talked about the fate of the american hikers held in iran. ahmadinejad wanted people to know that sarah had been released on passionate grounds. but en it came to infoation on thether hiker hes held in jail, ahmadinejad remained defiant. be sure to watch andrea mitchell later on this morning on "today." >> now here's a look at other stories making ns early today in america. >> texas police releas dash cam of a man who was beat dow

>> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> well, bp is in the spotlight this morning as it prepares to release an in-depth report on the gulf oil disaster. now according to this morning's "wall street journal," in the 200-page report, bp accepts some but not all of the blame for the worst environmental disaster in u.s. history. critics are already questioning the summary's credibility compiled mostly by bp employees with the inevitable task of exposing the company to a landslide of legal liability or pointing the feng finger somewhere else. >>> meanwhile some good news from a new government data report that's showing microbes are consuming the oil in the gulf without depleting the oxygen in the water. >>> firefighters are struggling to contain a rash of fires sweeping through multiple neighborhoods in detroit this morning. officials say 50-mile-per-hour winds and dry conditions are fueling flames that have so far consumed at least two dozen homes. the strong winds also toppled several power lines througho

nbc's tracie potts has more from washington. good morning to you, tracie. >> reporter: veronica, good morning. good morning, everyone. buck up. that's what president obama said, his word literally to democrats. trying to re-energize the party with some political tough love. >> i don't know about you, but i'm fired up. >> reporter: president obama telling democrats, ignore polls and pundits claiming the party's apathetic. >> we cannot sit this one out. we can't let this country fall backwards because of rest of us didn't care enough to fight. >> reporter: in interviews he's even tougher. the president told "rolling stone" the democrats "sitting on their hands complaining are irresponsible." republicans and even some democrats say beating up the base may backfire. >> out there trying to terrify them, and put all of these scare tactics out there and hope that the fear will drive them to the polls. >> reporter: mr. obama's on a four-day swing to drum up support amid a faltering economy. >> i don't think there's one specific sector to

tracie potts has more for us from washington. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. there was no decision on taxes, what to do about extending the bush tax cuts at the end of the year. democratic leaders had said they will not deal with that before the election. that's exactly what happened. but they barely got out of town without doing so in the house after a last-minute speech by republican leader john boehner that drew 39 democrats to his side. in the end, they agreed to adjourn without dealing with taxes by just one vote. but there was a flurry of activity before the house adjourned. they did approve several bills, including a stopp spending measure so the government can continue to function for another two months. the fiscal year ends tomorrow. they also approved a nasa bill that deals with the future of that program, extends both the space shuttle and the space station programs and ends the bush era program that would have landed astronauts on the moon once again. finally, a 9/11 program was extended, as well, in fact, approved to provide health coverage for em

incomes's tracie potts joins us with the latest. good morning, tracie. >> reporter: good morning. the international is confirming what we heard from nancy pelosi and the house, they will not deal with the tax issue until after november's election, after you go to vote. senate majority leader harry reid say they go sat down with democrats in the senate but couldn't work out an idea of how they would proceed with this in the senate. the idea here is whether or not to preserve the bush tax cuts for everyone or just for the middle class and let taxes go up on the wealthy. it's a political hot potato. not one democrat seems to want to touch this before everyone goez to the polls. they backed a small business bill, now going to the president's desk. $30 billion to set up a new fund for small businesses to get loans so that they can expand, so they can hire people. the gop called this a bailout and they've got a new plan going into november calling it their pledge to america. reduce tax cuts and make them permanent for everyone. >> tracie potts, thank you. >>> once again, the iranian pre

lynn. >> tracy potts there for us in washington. trayy, thank you. >>> well, families who believe their loved ones were in their final resting places at arlington national cemetery have just learned that is not the case. the army has discovered at least two people who were buried in the wrong place. remains have been exhumed from the graves. a recent army report detailed mismanagement that led to the handling of graves. a later senate report put that number up to 6,600. since the army's findings, defense officials have received about 1,100 calls from worried families. >>> in an nbc news exclusive, chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell was granted an interview inside the presidential palace in tehran wednesday with iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad. they talked about the fate of the american hikers held in iran. ahmadinejad wanted people to know that sarah shourd had been released on passionate grounds. but when it came to information on the other hiker hes held in jail, ahmadinejad remained defiant. be sure to watc

tracie potts, nbc news, washington >>> d.c. council chair and mayor al candidates defending d.c. schools after president obama said his kids could not get the same quality of education as in private schools. he was responding to a viewer question. >> the fatheof two seemingly bright daughters, i want to know whether or not you think malia and sasha would get the same high quality education at a d.c. private school compared to the elite private academy they are attendinnow. >> i'll be honest with you, the answer is no right now. . the d.c. schools are struggling. terrific individual schools in the d.c. system. >> the president went on to say there are good individual d.c. schoos, you migh have heard. in response, vincent gray defended the quality of education in d.c. >> i wish he would think that because i think we do have excellent schools, both in traditional public schools and charter schools. and i think his daughters would get a fist-class education. at the end of the day every parent has to make the decision they feel is best for their chigz. >> gray said he would not make a

>> tracie potts for us in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> well, general david petraeus is condemning one florida church's plans to mark the anniversary of 9/11 by burning copies of the koran. in today's "wall street journal," the top u.s. commander of the war in afghanistan warns the lives of u.s. troops could be endangered if the dove world outreach center goes through with its planned protest against what it calls, quote, the evil of islam. hundreds of afghans turned out yesterday to protest the plans. petraeus further cautioned that torching islam's holy writings would be a propaganda coup for the taliban in afghanistan and stoke anti-u.s. sentiment across the muslim world. >>> well, this morning's "usa today" reports that the u.s. military's new armored trucks are significantly reducing troop deaths in afghanistan. last year nearly 80% of insurgent bombings on humvees resulted in occupants being killed, but according to the new data, that figure dropped to 15% for attacks on the all-terrain vehicles known as mrap.

tracie potts is in washington, d.c. live with us this morning with the latest. good morning to you, tracie. >> reporter: veronica, good morning. you will see the president's events take on a distinct campaign-like feel. two goals swinging through several states. first of all, to energize young voters, and as you said, sell his economic recovery plan. it's a plan that now includes a new $30 billion fund for small businesses. he signed that into law yesterday. the idea is to provide them more money so these businesses can expand, and hopefully hire more workers and affect the low jobless rate in this country. this is a message he'll take to albuquerque, new mexico, today, as president obama continues with the white house called a series of backyard meetings with voters. something that worked in his campaign that he's hoping will work in this election as well. and then later tonight, a big rally at the university of wisconsin to draw those young voters. as we get closer to this election, more criticism from democrats, from the white house on republicans. president o

tracie potts has more now from capitol hill. >> reporter: president obama said preserve tax praex forealthy costs too much. >> they wa to spend another $700 billion that 98% of americans will never see. >> i don't think i'm going to put my grandchildren and this country into debt. >> reporter:epublicans now insist on dealing with it before november's election. >> up or down vote on stopping all of the coming tax hikes. >> reporter: the census bureau reports 1 in 7 americans are now poor, the most ever. a new private analysis say letting the tax cuts expire mean a family of four making 54,000, would payan extra 2900 next year. >> it's still about barack obama and his agenda. that remains a fundamental democratic problem. >> reporter: hammeredn unemployment, the administration is fighting back. today the white reases a stimulus creating thousands of jobs across american. republicans say th real job creators are the wealthy americans who president obama wants to tax more. tracie potts, nb news, washington. >>> the whithouse is denying first lady michelle obama ever described her life as

>> tracie potts in washington. acie, thanks. >>> well, a federal judge in california is planning to issue an injunction to stop the government from enforcing a ban on opening gay service members in the military. yesterday the judge declared the "don't ask, don't tell" policy unconstitutional, saying it violates the right to free speech and due process of gays and lesbians. in her ruling, the judge added that the policy doesn't help military readiness and instead has a, quote, direct and deleterious effect on the nation's armed service. >>> and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in wisconsin police are looking for an armed masked robber who charged in and attempted to hold up a local bank. unfortunately for the suspect, a customer sprung into action and tackled him from behind. the suspect ran out of the bank without any cash. fortunately no one was hurt. >>> an illinois bank got an unexpected deposit, an 80,000-pound semi. the truck driver swerved off the road, plowed through

for more we go to tracy potts in washington. tracy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. president obama says he blames himself for not doing a better sales job with this new health care law and republicans are now trying to repeal it but major provisions of that reform kick in today. for example, no more lifetime limits on insurance coverage and children can no longer be denied for pre-existing conditions. the adult portion of that will kick in about four years from now. preventive care, checkups now have to be covered and this is a big one, adults can stay on their parents' insurance up to age 26. now, for some people that kicks in this week. for others when their insurance rolls over in january, the president, again, on a sales pitch trying to get u.s. support and public support for this plan. republicans have insisted that they wanted repeal, that it's a $2.5 trillion mistake according to the chair of the republican national committee. today they're unveiling what they call a 21-page pledge to america. in addition to repealing health reform, it includes tax cuts for e

nbc's tracie potts joins us. good morning, tracie. >> reporter: what to do about taxes. the senate confirmed what the house already said, this is not going to happen before you go to the polls in november. senate democrats got together, but could not agree on how to move forward. the issue is whether or not to preserve the bush tax cuts for everyone or just for the middle class and let taxes go up on the wealthy. it is a political hot potato headed into november. not one that the democrats now say they want to touch before you go to the polls, however, what they did back, a small business bill, $30 billion, a new fund to help small businesses get loans. this was mainly a democratic issue. the idea here is that if businesses have more cash, they'll hire people, buy equipment, expand and help pull this economy out of a slump. the gop called it a bailout. their plan is their new pledge to america, a government that's too big, they say is something they want to get rid of if they're elected in november. they also want to expand tax cuts and several other measures that they s

tracie potts, washington. >>> let's look at what's coming up later in the bay. we say hello to brent cannon getting ready. >> good morning. outlining the big changes to the health insurance that go into effect today. we will have an interview with a member of the obama administration to answer tough questions. two weeks ago, san bruno was changed forever and the clean up crews will start picking up the pieces and pg&e will learn if they can ask for you to pay up more money to cover the cost of that disaster. on a lighter note, tonight is the funniest night on tv. the comics return to nbc and what's ahead might make you laugh. those stories and more in a few minutes. people waking up in one east bay community because of a gas leak that forced some families out of their homes overnight. today in the bay's christie smith with everything in san bruno on our mines. we are paying a lot more attention to this. >> that's right. crews thought they might have this capped by 4:00 this morning. it's after 4:00 so this is taking longer than expected. as a result downtown ori

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> we have a look ahead for you today in the bay. laura is in the newsroom with a preview. >> good morning, scott and everyone. a lot of drivers are paying up for getting caught texting while driving. we have a study that shows the idea behind the law to keep people safe may be flawed. it may cause more accidents. we will have the story coming up in a live report. a bay area lawmaker takes action on something that may help save lives in the san bruno explosion. how to talk about the delay of the state's first execution in years. that and more in a bit. >> thank you much. if you haven't seen blackberry's new toy, this is the playbook supposed to rival the i pad and the kindle. the play sbook smaller and lighter than the i pad and weighs in at just under a pound. the i pad is a pound and a half. the tablet comes with wi-fi and no 3g connection. we don't know how much it is. the playbook will hit stores early next year. >>> a new report shows more and more people are turning to smart phones for banking. 17% of the customers already usin

tracie potts joins us now from capitol hill with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president has a problem because increasingly democrats also disagree with him over taxes, and republicans are digging in, not good signs for a compromise seven weeks before an election. >> reporter: how to win a tax fight and an election. first, solidify the base. >> don't forget who is standing with you and who is standing against you. >> reporter: then put pressure on your opponents. >> we simply don't have time anymore to play games. >> reporter: extending tax cuts to americans earning over 250,000 has become the lightning rod for a nasty part season fight headed into november. more than two dozen democrats now disagree with president obama. republicans are not wavering. >> republicans are united. no tax increases on nobody. >> reporter: even house leader john boehner, who suggested sunday he might support the president, is now backing off. >> if it's your only option as you said sunday, would you vote -- >> i want to extend all of the current tax breaks. >> reporter: tuesday's

nbc's tracie potts has more for us from washington. good morning to you. >> good morning. no decision on taxes. democratic leaders on both sides of congress said they would adjourn without dealing with that issue whether or not to extend the bush tax cuts past the end of this year. the house barely made it out, though, by one vote in what ended up being a referendum on taxes. after an impassioned speech by house minority leader john boehner, 39 democrats agreed with him but in the end decided to leave washington without dealing with that issue. but there was a flurry of activity on several other fronts. a nasa bill passed that will deal with the future of that program. major changes. it appears the shuttle and space station programs. also the house agreed to pass a bill to provide health care for 9/11 workers, for those who worked down at ground zero. finally, they agreed to a budget stop-gap measure that will allow the government to continue operating past today, which is the end of the fiscal year. so now lawmakers head home and they're dealing with an angry electorate j

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> now for a look at what's coming up later. brent cannon is in the newsroom. good morning. >> everybody wants to know what sparked last thursday's deadly blaze in san bruno. how investigators are responding to the latest about what caused the possible spark. there is a special group of people who will hit the road for a good cause and we will let you know how to help and possibly meet a celebrity singer, joe jonas. we have an early look at the newest game from playstation. that's coming up in a few minutes. >> a super cool gadget friday. you think it's expense testify live here, swiss bank ubs released the list of the most expensive cities in the world and the bay area is not on it. oz low, tokyo, copenhagen rounded out the top five. new york is the only u.s. city on the list. stockholm, toronto and montreal on the list at 8 and 9. london rounds out the top 10. the raiders's first home game is sunday and if you want to see it, you have to go to the coliseum. the silver and black is blacked out. it's a game they should win again

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> now a look ahead on what's coming on later. brent, welcome back. >> i'm working on an interview with the ntsb, the lead agency investigating the explosion in san bruno. you can look for that after 5:00. in a few minutes. plus, we will tell you when people whose houses were damaged can expect answers from pg&e and those who have anything left might be able to move back in. we investigate the higher cost of investigation. is going to college worth the money? it seems like an easy answer, but with three out of five graduating with massive debt, the solution may not be so simple. those stories and more gets you moving through the monday morning commute. back to you. >> a new study shows that for profit hospitals in california performed significantly more c sections than nonprofit hospitals. california watch compiled a database of 253 hospitals and found a woman was 17% more likely to have a c-section at a for profit facility. that's after medically needed c sections were ruled out. since c-section births bring in about twice the re

tracie potts has that story. >> how to win a tax fight and election. first solidify the base. >> don't forget who is standing with you and against you. >> then put pressure on your opponent. >> we simply don't have time anymore to play games. >> extending tax cuts to americans earning over $250,000 has become the lightning rod for a nasty partisan fight headed into november. more than two dozen democrats disagree with president obama. republicans aren't wavering. >> republicans are united. no tax increases on nobody. >> even house leader john baner who suggested he might support the president is backing off. >> if it's your only option, would you vote? >> i want to extend the current tax breaks. >> they're exclude both side and tea partiers could backfire on republicans. >> it seemed like voter nullification and we are not listening to you. we, the republican party, we not listening. that's the problem. >> it could be a problem for democrats too. a poll puts their disapproval rating at 58%. most americans said they want most of washington out. tracie p

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> let's take a look at what's coming up later. good morning, brent. >> a few more minutes. families around the bay area are anxiously awaiting a new report from pg&e that comes out later. it will detail the way they run. one south bay city got a warning from the company and we will have more on that coming up in a live report. an exclusive inside look at fast track. see how to make sure you are getting the most out of the program rather than it getting the most out of you. it's an interesting story. including the 49ers who are getting ready for the first win of the season. we have a preview in a little bit on today in the bay. >> you are thinking positive. it may only be september, but there plenty of reasons why you may want to check out holiday airfares right now mainly because of the add on fees including for peak travel days. experts say there will be plenty of peak travel days betweening this and new year's. you can expect to be more than last year. experts suggest early october is the latest you are going to be able to find

tracie potts is in washington, d.c. live with us this morning with the latest. good morning to you, tracie. >> veronica, good morning. what you'll see this morning will take on a distinct campaign trail feel, designed to use what worked for them two years ago during the presidential campaign, the president swinging through states to energize young voters and to sell his economic plan. part of that plan was helping small businesses. we saw that as he signed the small business bill into law yesterday, creating a $30 billion fund to give them more money to free up money for these businesses to expand and hire workers. today, president obama takes his message to albuquerque, new mexico, where he'll continue a series of backyard meetings with voters and have a big rally at the university of wisconsin later on tonight. as we get closer to the election, we're seeing the administration get much more aggressive in tone and message, vice president biden saying stop whining and look for alternatives out there. president obama calling pledge to america irresponsible. today,

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> hard for those folks. we top the take a look at what's coming up and we turn to brent in the newsroom. good morning. >> i will be along in a moment. the report on high risk pipelines shows one runs under the premier college. we will go to campitous see how people are feeling. this is video and we will grill on why they cannot seem to balance their checkbook like you and i. the giants are in first place and you can buy tickets today. how and how much they might cost in a few minutes on today in the bay. >> i can't wait to go to the game. new this morning, police are on the hunt for a man who sexually assaulted women getting in and out of cars. later today, we may get a better look at the suspect. christie smith is live where the attacks took place. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the attacks happened in the evening in a secluded area. the problem is, there is a lot of secluded areas. what do you do? investigators are reminding women in particular to be careful getting in and out of cars and

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> now with a look at what's coming up later today in the bay's brent cannon. >> reporter: we're working on getting new investigation from san bruno. investigators will be back at the scene before sunup and we're ready. >>> we'll bring you the story of a pg&e whistleblower. we'll tell you when he sounded warning alarms about the area. >>> high-speed rail plan is on its way to the south bay. we'll look at where and when. >>> plus we are tracking the movement of newly freed berkeley hiker sarah shourd. i know you've been following that as well, scott. we'll have reports from around the world coming up later on, on "today in the bay." >>> the a's are going to try to bounce back from a very bad day at the office. they take the royals on again today at 5:00 in kansas city. gio gonzalez had his worst outing of the season and made it through two innings. he gave up seven runs, seven hits. royals win 11-3. >>> the giants are a game and a half out of the playoffs behind the padres in the nl west and in the same spot behind the braves in the wild card race.

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> now we want to take a look at what's coming up later today in the bay. for that we turn to laura garcia-cannon who is putting together the show. >> good morning, my friend. think about this. having more than just $4 a day to eat on. we'll show you how they do it and how you can help. >>> plus the nation's new health care law starts its second phase tomorrow. "today in the bay" is committed to keeping you ahead of the curve so we'll explain what it means for your family today. >>> plus we investigate the hidden dangers facing your kids every day. those stories and more coming up later, "today in the bay." >>> frustrated families waking up across one east bay community dealing with a second water main break in a week. christie smith is live in pleasant hill with the cleanup and the mess. you pointed out no water, no coffee. this is pretty serious. >> reporter: that is very serious. very serious for me certainly. they're working hard to fix this. we are now eight hours into it. the good news, though, neighbors can have their coffee around here. the

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> let's get a look at what's coming up later "today in the bay." laura garcia-cannon is putting that show together. >> good morning, everyone, thanks for joining us this morning. seeing the giants clinch a playoff spot is going to cost you. our own bob redell will be live from china basin with a look at why the giants' fans are really getting gouged. some ticket prices are four times higher than they were at the start of the year. >>> plus we're working a developing and disturbing story coming from the war on terror, to the latest on the arrest on eight terror suspects in a plot. >>> it is bear hunting season but in one east bay city, it's also bear discovery season. a 300-pound black bear was left in front of a row of businesses in san leandro. is it a case of urban poaching? today in the bay's cheryl hurd shows us the bizarre crime. >> i got closer to it, i thought it was a stuffed bear but it was a dead bear. >> reporter: not what she bargained for during closing sunday night at this burrito shop on foothill boulevard. >> it had its tongue stic

. >>> good morning, i'm tracie potts in washington with the fight against fat. you winning that fight? are you even in the game? getting it off and keeping it off next. >>> and a night out on the town in san francisco could end up costing you a little bit more money. i'm bob redell. we'll take you live to the city and tell you what the board of supervisors has got up their sleeves. >>> and here's a live look at oakland, traffic is picking up, heavier volume, but you will still get where you're going because mike inouye has your traffic report coming up. ria will update us on wecointrd as. g tr well. rogressive.com. come on in, and i'll give you a free quote. quote and compare in about 8 minutes. now, that's progressive. call or click today. >>> 6:43. if you're waking up in richmond, here is a look outside your window as you struggle to get where you're going, whether it's in richmond or anywhere around the bay area, we have you covered. we will talk with mike inouye in a bit. >>> the dieting roller coaster is a crowded ride. just one in six of us who lose weight

tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> 66 degrees on tv hill. coming up, the morning's financial news in the bloomberg business report. >> sudden storms bring an incredible amount of damage to new york city. >> a woman's plight grabs national headlines when she was doused with acid. >> we will be drying out by this afternoon. >> we have picked up the reports of two new accidents. >> good morning. still in a little humid outside. we did see a lot of moisture yesterday. that front is draped across the chesapeake bay right now. high pressure is building in the wake of things. we will see the wind picked up and it will be beautiful with plenty of sunshine. right now the temperatures are pretty mild. 68 downtown. 63 in parkton. 70 in easton. the wind will be somewhat of an issue. pretty dusty at times. at times. dgusty we will be above normal, into the low 80's. it winds could be up to 25 miles per hour at time. we will have plenty of sunshine. a high of 84 of the eastern shore. we topped out at 84 degrees yesterday. no problems on the chesapeake bay

i'm tracie potts in washington. what both political parties face, coming up. >> it's premiere week on nbc, time for the return of your favorite shows and a first look at some that might become your new favorites. we'll have a preview. >> we're dining out this morning live at clementine on harford road, but thursday, you'll have a chance to dine out for life. it's a great cause. it's a great cause. stay tuned for the details. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank for joining us. meteorologist tony pann has a quick look at the forecast for us. >> good morning, everyone. so far, so good. just a few high, thin clouds this morning. the temperatures are in the 60's. we're going to make it into the upper 70's this afternoon. it's going to be a little breezy, but we'll just see a mixture of sunshine and clouds through the day. when we come back, we'll check the seven-day forecast, see what's on tap for the rest of the week. >> thanks, tony. we're racing t

tracie potts is live on capitol hill with the details. good morning. >> reporter: democrats say buck up. he's trying to reenergize the party with political tough love. >> i don't know abo you, but i'm fired up. >> reporter: president obama is telling democrats ignore polls and pundits. >> we cannot sit this one out. we can't let this country fall backwards because the rest of us didn't re enough to fight. >> reporter: in interviews, he's even tougher. he told rolling store democrats sitting on their hands complaining are irresponsible. republicans and even some decrats say beating up the base may backfire. >> you're out there trying to tear phi them and put all these scare tactics out there and hope fear will drive them to the polls. >> reporter: mr. obama is on a four-state swing to gain support amid a faltering economy. >> i don't think there's one sector we can put the blame on. >> reporter: in a new nbc/wall street journal poll, the percentage who blame barack obama for economic woes have almost doubled since june. republicans say the

tracie potts has more from arounthe country. >> don't ever underestimate the power of we the people.party favorite who republicans said couldn't be elected dog catcher won th party senate nomination in delaware. in new york, political newcomer carl palodi overcame his challenger's 40-point lead to become the republican's candidate for governor. >> if we've learned anything tonight, it's that new yorkers are as mad as hell. >>> he'll take on andrew cuomo. and charlie rangel beat five other democrats. and a dozen ethics charges for his bid to stay in washington. >> no matter what they say, i go back to washington stronger than i've ever been. >> in all, five nominees and six more candidates for governor were democrats are hoping to hold on to their majority. >> i'm not yielding one grain of sand. >> local council chair vince gray led adrian fenty by 9,000 votes. >> tonight the people of the district ent aessage loud and clear that they want to bring integrity and leadership back to the mayor's fice. >> that may be the final word. there's no republican running against him this fall. so

nbc's tracy potts has a look. >> reporter: they blamed chicken feed from an utside supplier. the fda found filthy conditions at his facility. >> they had manure piles old enough that mag gots were forming. they had rat holes that allowed rats to enter the facilities. >> reporter: deanna arno worked at the plant and blames the government for not doing more. >> i told a usda ifr about it, and she said, well, go back and do your job. >> we tend to chase a foodborne disease after it occurring. >> reporter: the labor secretary called his main operation a sweatsho iowa named him a habitual offender. noo one died, but more than 1,500 people got sick. congress has since learned that wright county egg tested positive for salmonella. 73 of those samples were the exact same train. they did not inude test results in documents he provided congress. today they'll ask why. both companies are the subject every multiple federal investigations. om washington, i'm trac traci potts. >>> lawmakers have been long concerned about the fdaeeds more authority, but regulation to give them authority has

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> fresh off signing a bill to benefit sll businesses, president barack obama hits the campaign trail today to try to win over voters for the upcoming midterm elecons. the president is hoping the new pill, which could supply $300 billion in business loans, will spark support for his cross country tour. he will continue to hold backyard rallies all this week, including one in richmond tomorrow. tonight, however, they will target the youth vote and head to the university of wisconsin where young voter turnout is among the highest in the nation. >>> kathleen sebelius will be speaking at the universi of maryland. she will be at a rally trying to get local college students and other young people out to the polls. vice president biden will be attendi similar rallies tonight. >>> the white house chief of staff will soon decide whether he will leave to run for the mayor of chicago. sources tell nbc news the announcement could come as early as this friday. rahm emanuel is highly expected to leave the white house. he is still considering the impact his decis

tracy potts, wbal tv 11 news. >> hope your having a great day. tonight is the autumnal equinox. the front is on the move. it is incredibly warm. that front might generate an isolated thunderstorm. what we have seen as high pressure bring in a suddenly flow. there is actually a coastal flood advisory until midnight tonight because of the shift in the winds. in the meantime, we are warmer than yesterday. it is already 84 degrees upper 80s for the later afternoon. >> this just in -- 28-year-old calvin lockner is accused of attacking a 77 year-old man has pleaded guilty. he will be sentenced on september 27. residents were displaced. baltimore county officials say the fire caused the propane tank to explode. the people inside of the home were able to safely escaped. red cross is assisting the family. the man accused of stabbing his ex-wife to dead, -- to death, and setting her apartment on fire is in police custody. damon white was arrested yesterday. investigators believe he killed 35-year-old thelma wynn earlier this month, and somehow injured himself while trying to cover it up.