this morning on "early today," about-face. the top house republican now says he's open to president obama's plan for middle-class tax cuts. almost free. an american woman jailed in iran for more than a year may soon be released. and burrito binge. champion eater joey chestnut shters a new world record. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, and good monday morning to you. welcome to our viewers across the nation including the pick time zone. i'm veronica de la cruz.

today we begin with a tax cut tussle. congress gets back to work this week with washington squarely at odds over proposed tax cuts. this weekend taxes were a main point of protest for tea party supporters who took to the streets from the capital in sacramento to say no to big government. nbc's brian moore reports. >> reporter: members of the tea party movement marched through the nation's capital, coming from far and wide to send a message. >> i want the spending stopped. i want the big government stopped. and the taxes. don't want the taxes. >> reporter: there were also rallies in st. louis and sacramento, notably smaller gatherings than last year's nationwide tea party, but no less vocal. >> i'm just a plain old person. but i have a big, big desire to see my country go back to its roots. >> reporter: republicans want to ride this wave back to power. but first, they'll face some tough votes. president obama is proposing new infrastructure projects that would create jobs, breaks for small businesses, and extending the bush tax cuts, but only for

the middle class. the fight hasn't even started and already republican leader john boehner may have just blinked. >> if the only option i have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, i'll vote for them. >> reporter: but these voters seem to have already made up their minds. and hope to persuade others to join them in november at the ballot box. brian moore, nbc news, washington. in california, residents have begun to return to the san bruno neighborhood that was rocked by a pipeline explosion last week. the blast killed at least four people, and four others remain missing. nbc's frances kuo has more. >> reporter: the area where nearly 50 homes once stood is now the site of a federal investigation. >> today is our second full day of investigating this accident. >> reporter: it's still unclear why the pacific gas and electric pipeline ruptured and exploded into an inferno on thursday. what is certain -- the pipeline was more than 50

years old, put in before many of the houses here were even built. >> that 28-foot section of 30-inch pipe, we are, as we speak, crating it up, putting it in a crate, because the investigators have decided that needs to go back to our metallurgy labs in washington. >> reporter: late sunday california regulators ordered pg&e to examine all of its natural gas lines in the state. >> that's where the main explosion took place. >> reporter: state leaders are also joining the investigation by holding a congressional hearing this week. >> many questions must be answered by all of us, whose job it is to protect our people. >> 811 -- >> reporter: protection seems too late for many of the san bruno residents who finally got the all-clear on sunday to go home. >> i'm anxious. you know, when we left, i thought i'm leaving all of 36 years of memories in the house, and i may never see them again. >> reporter: memories now tainted with many unanswered question's.

frances kuo, nbc news. a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in alabama a police officer is recovering after a bizarre series of accidents sent him to the emergency room. the officer was first thrown 50 yards off his motorcycle when it crashed and caught fire. this after a vehicle moved out of line during a funeral procession. an ambulance responded to the scene but soon after en route to the hospital it overturned and caught fire. the officer suffered multiple broken bones and significant trauma to his legs and arms. more than 25,000 people filled new york's central park for a five kilometer race for the cure. politicians, celebrities and other supporters ran alongside an estimated 1,600 cancer survivors, raising money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. and in new mexico, eating champ joey chestnut is at it again, setting a new world record at a burrito eating championship. oh, wow. chestnut wolfed down an inkred 47 burritos in a mere --

the previous record of 33 1/2 beef, green, and pepper stuffed tortillas. oh, my goodness gracious. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. it just turns my stomach every time i see that video. >> burritos are heavy, too. not light. >> where's your hat? >> knew they'd get the hat on tv. talk about hurricane igor. this is a big, powerful storm out in the open atlantic waters, and i like to show these things. the weather pattern is quiet around the united states. look at this shows you the power of mother nature this morning. lowest pressure the strongest window, could become a category 5 storm during the day today. those are extremely rare. as far as the weather across the country, not a lot going on. barely any showers to talk about. tranquil weather pattern from the west coast to the east coast. a little of the storm system off coast. this eventually moves its way into the pacific northwest over are the days ahead. that's not going to happen for a

while. as of now, coastal clouds in california that are keeping things cool around the shore, but high pressure over the four corner region is going to make it mild, if not mild, then warm. arizona today even on hot side, in phoenix, near 103. starting off your day today, 59 in portland. 58 in seattle. maybe a long sleeve, definitely a light jacket could be needed in many areas. the exceptions being the desert areas where it's still very warm. then as we go through the afternoon, you need the umbrella. leave it in the closet. sunglasses needed in many areas. even vegas getting a little hot. almost near 100. beautiful salt lake city. warm day. 88. boise, 9. pacific northwest, 79, near 80. once we get rid of the clouds, a nice afternoon in california. clouds than ce day.

you'd like. temperature in the mid-70s. monday's good. we'll talk about tuesday a little later in the show. back to you, veronica. >> sounds good. and what to look for on wall street and how not to read the news. your early morning business helines are straight ahead. plus, the mtv music awards go gaga over lady gaga. a controversial fall against the lions. redskins and cowboys down to the wire and another championship for usa basketball. you're watching "early today."

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country for more than a year on charges of espionage. tehran says sarah shourd will be released on $500,000 bail because of medical problems and be allowed to leave the country. shourd, whose mother says she may have cancer, was originally meant to be released on saturday but the country's judiciary blocked those plans at the last minute. firefighters in northern colorado are working to contain a fast-moving wildfire that has destroyed at least one home and burned just under one square mile. it comes as residents about 35 miles away in the boulder foothills return to their homes after one of the most destructive wildfires in colorado's history. mexican marines say they arrested one of the country's most wanted drug traffickers and presumed leader of embattled cartel. sergio villareal found in a raid in the central part of the country yesterday. and engineers in california are touting a robotics breakthrough. an electronic skin that can sense touch just like a human can. scientists say it's a major step toward replacing today's clumsy robots with ones that can grip

objects without breaking them and could be used one day in prosthetic limbs. and now here's an early look at one of your top headlines. seniors who can give a firm hand shake and walk at a brisk pace are likely to live longer than those who can't. strength, speed and balance, physical measures of capability related to the life span among the older even after accounting for age, sex and body size. head to the web for more. the health page online at msnbc.com. and early look how wall street kicks off the day. the dow opens at 10,462 after adding 47 points friday. the s&p rose 5 points, and the nasdaq gained 6. taking a look at overseas trading this morning in tokyo, the nikkei climbed 82 points while in hong kong, the hang seng spiked 400.

two experienced traders on wall street, the real begins of the month. september has nerve been a pretty month on wall street. the most volatile month, vulnerable to wild swings given the uncertainty over the economic recovery. adding to that potential for volatility this friday marks the end of the so-called quadruple witching period. the quarterly settlement in explanation of four types of equity features an options contracts. traders will hang on data and depending whether it's good or bad, fasten your seat belts. this week's calendar of economic data includes retail sales due tuesday. and capacity utilization wednesday. the price index in last week's jobless claims on wednesday and consumer price index and consumer confidence on friday. and major bank ubs and credit suisse made need new

entitlements. stricter rules. this led to sudden downward swings recently on wall street. and $1.56 billion deal to buy thrifty outbidding rival avis. finally a norwegian newscaster had a very bad day on saturday after announcing on a live broadcast she was quitting because she "wanted to be able to eat properly again and be able to breathe." she then refused to read the day's news, because nothing important had happened. hmm. well, the u.s. takes basketball world championships and when is a tichdown not a touchdown? plus a blunder cost the cowboys dearly against their archrivals. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. and the tropics remain active, but the forecast around the country, very quiet. you're watching "early today." [ male announcer ] mix it.

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well, good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports -- the nfl's first weekend in action concluded last night with one of the league's most famous rivalries battling right down to the wire. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines.

>> good morning. the first weekend of the nfl season ended with a dramatic finish between the redskins and cowboys, two botched plays by dallas changed the game in the final seconds of the first. tony romo, dished, quickly tackled and fumbled. deangelo hall picked up the loose ball and took it in for the score. the redskins are up 10-0 in the half. the fourth, the cowboys needing a touchdown. last play of the game. romo hit roy williams to tie. wait a minute, hold everything. dallas called for holding. the game ended on a penalty and the redskins won it 13-7. controversy in chicago. lions down late in the fourth. hill to johnson, touchdown, detroit. wait a minute. they reviewed it, and ruled it was not a touchdown. looked like a catch. but apparently johnson didn't keep control of the ball. a heartbreaker for the lions. bears won it 19-14. steelers and falcons needed overtime. rashard mendenhall took the handoff. ended up with a 50-yard td run. pittburgh won without

all-pro quarterback ben roethlisberger. tom brady through three touchdown passes but the play of the game was made by tate. high stepping up the middle and gone. untouched, 97 yards. patriots won a shoot-out 38-24. like brady the giants' eli manning also threw three touchdowns. all to hakeem hicks. the giants christened their new stadium with a win over the panthers. things didn't go well for eli's brother peyton. steamrolled by the texans' foster. three touchdowns, 231 yards on the ground, not too shabby for a guy who spent last season on a practice squad. texans won. and finally durant lead team usa to their first world championship in 16 years. shot the lights out from beyond the arc. durant finished with 28 and was named the tournament mvp. the usa won the world championship 81-64 over turkey. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. who won at the box office this weekend? your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead.

plus, after years away with a little help from his friends, he is back to riding the waves. you're watching "early today." host: could switching to geico really save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance? was abe lincoln honest? mary: does this dress make my backside look big? abe: perhaps... save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance?really host: is having a snowball fight with pitching great randy johnson a bad idea? man: yeah, i'm thinking maybe this was a bad idea.

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but it's also rich in powerful nutrients that help cleanse and purify your body. cranberries are the ninja fruit. wh-wh-whoa! ocean spray -- tastes good, good for you. like the cranberry, the pomegranate is a superfruit, prized since ancient times. he would know. [ snickering ] also available in light and diet. welcome back on this monday morning. forecast looks dry in almost all locations, sun on the hot side

in the deserts. 103 in phoenix. tucson warm up to flagstaff. vegas at 99. l.a. after morning clouds nice. around 77 to near 80. cooler in san francisco with clouds lingering. off in the pacific northwest, clouds lingering the next two days. only in the 70s. much of the west looks dry this week and we'll be watching for the most part the deserts. the hottest spot in the country. if you're watching on kntr news source 16 eugene, oregon, support local students and enjoy drawing, painting you have's cher and more at the teen art show at the maude kern is art center. >> are you artistic at all? >> no. need to work on it. >> stick with the weather map. all right. now an early look at this

morning's headlines in entertainment. lady gaga was the undeniable queen of last night's mtv music awards winning eight statues, including the video of the year. the 24-year-old new yorker with the outrageous fashion sense led the field starting the night off with 13 nominations, tied a norwegian rock group ah-ha who also won eight awards in 1986 as the second most honored act on a single night. rocker peter gabriel set the record with nine awards in 1987 for the video sledge hammer. elsewhere, actor kevin mccarthy who played the frantic doctor trying to save his friend's neighbors in the 1956 science fiction classic "invasion of the body snatchers" has died at the age of 96. comedian steve harvey debuts as the new host of family feud today and he's promising, quote, there is not a funnier game show on television. and finally, as expected, the 3d horror film "resident evil afterlife," the lone debut of the weekend took the box office with a better than expected $27.7 million. what was the latest movie you

saw. >> in a theater? >> in a theater. >> come on. >> turn thing into a netflix guy and renting movies all the time. >> what was the last one on netflix? >> "julia & julia." >> saw it with my mom. a good one. this comes to us from san diego, california, one man got a birthday gift he will always remember. it's been 11 years since bobby rode a wave since a tragic surfing accident left hick wheelchairbound, paralyzing his dreams to go pro. thanks to great friends, he is riding a curl again, even if it is on a tarp. after a life trying to inspire others who put their dreams on hold, bobby wants everyone to know that anything is possible. i am veronica de la cruz. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today, on your nbc station. rise and shine!

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remember the beijing olympics? the pools there are making a splash again, two years after michael phelps owned the water cube it's been transformed into asia's largest water park featuring a wave pool, a lazy river, a stage for live performances and tons of twisted waterslides. the $32 million renovation has made the rainbow colored cube every swimmer's paradise. looks like a lot of fun. at one festival in lithuania being competitive definitely runs in the family. 23 strollers fully loaded with babies were in a race to the finish line. all the kids seemed to enjoy the mile-long race, but it was work for some parents. anything but i guess you could say stroll through the park. families are awarded toys and medals for their effort.

and one armenian company has discovered a sweet way into the guinness book of world records. it has unveiled the world's largest chocolate bar. take a look at that. measures a whopping 18 feet long, feet wide, and get this, 10 inches thick. the big bar weighs in at nearly 10,000 pounds. wow. the confection was broken into pieces for the public so that no one was left feeling bitter. hmm. you know, bill, i love chocolate. but not that much chocolate. >> do you like chocolate plain or would you add almonds or nuts to it? >> i like white chocolate with macadamia nuts. it is my favorite. >> really? >> yeah. >> okay. >> yes, yes. you too? time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll be following here today on nbc news -- in detroit a hearing is scheduled on the case of a man accused of trying to blow up a plane last christmas. the nigerian suspect allegedly concealed a bomb in his underwear and tried to detonate the explosive on a flight from amsterdam to detroit. former english prime

minister tony blair will be honored with a 2010 liberty medal. an award given to those who promote freedom around the world. and in new york, rafael nadal and novak djokovic meet in the final of the men's u.s. open. the match was delayed yesterday because of the rain. it is the third consecutive year that that has happened. and all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." finally -- here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. an exclusive update on the progress of a teen who was nearly beaten to death after texting with another student. and ben affleck stops by to talk about his new film "the town." now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and much more. i'm veronica de la cruz. thank you so much for watching "early today." just your first stop of the day today, on your nbc station. have a terrific monday. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com