after midterm elections in november. 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 say when they're elected, if they're elected in november, they will implement. amara? >> tracie potts reporting from washington, thank you. iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad has put on quite a show at the united nations. yesterday he delivered outrageous assertions about the 9/11 attacks that prompted american leaders and other delegations to walk out in protest. nbc's steve handelsman has the details. >> reporter: under increasing fire for his nuclear program and facing something he dread, the possibility of peace between the palestinians and israel, iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad dropped his bomb at the u.n. most people, he claimed believe american officials staged 9/11. >> translator: that some segments within the u.s. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining american economy and its grips on the middle east in order to save the zionist regime. >> reporter: u.s. diplomats and other delegations walked out citing his vial conspiracy theories. rudy giuliani called ahmadinejad insane or giving a great imitation. iran, giuliani said, must not get nuclear weapons. that was president obama's obama meeting with china's premier who is helping to pressure iran. but his main focus here at the u.n. was an arab/israeli peace deal completed by this time next year. >> if we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the united nations, independent, sovereign state of palestine livie ing in peace wi israel. there's a lot of talk point education and the u.s. falling behind their counterparts. we will begin a special topic called "education nation" and michelle franzen brings us a report on how teachers are embracing nontraditional programs to inspire students nationwide. >> reporter: they are the future generation of this nation. students, many who are inspired by creative curriculums in local schools across the country. at falcon middle school teachers carve out 45 minutes of class time for guitar club and other traditional after-school activities all to help students focus better on their core subjects but along with the success there are stories that point to a growing number of institutions nationwide falling behind. national statistics show american students ranked 25th in math and 21st in science when compared to 30 other industrialized countries. that's why nbc news is bringing together national and local educators, government leaders, parents and students. it's called education nation. at rockefeller plaza and includes a two-day summit and nationally broadcast town hall on sunday moderated by brian williams. >> you know, when you think about education, there are some people doing amazing work all across the country. we want to showcase that because we think there are some great lessons to be learned there. >> reporter: and solutions. >> i don't know people appreciate how valuable teachers are. they are the ones inspiring our children. ♪ can you read >> reporter: at this knowledge is power or k.i.p. charter public school, the use of music, extended class hours and hard work are motivating students who once struggled to make the grade. >> i feel really good doing it because i like being challenged. >> when i go to college i want to be, yep, i got all my work done and in fifth grade i was thinking about this. >> reporter: new ways of learning and teaching that could make a bigger difference when shared across the nation. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> our education nation series will air across all of the networks of nbc universal beginning this sunday and continuing throughout the week. on sunday at 8:00 p.m., joe scarborough and mika brzezinski hosts a one-hour discussion called "waiting for superman." this monday on the "today" show matt lauer sits down with president obama about the state of education in america. that interview will be simulcast from 8:00 to 8:30 eastern time on msnbc along with cnbc and other nbc networks. here's your "first look" at some of the other news going on around america today. an oregon bus driver is out of a job after a passenger got cell phone video of that driver reading an e-book at one point driving with his elbow. he was initially placed on paid leave but is now fired for "posing an immediate threat to public safety." in florida, another incident of distracted driving. only this time a sheriff's deputy was the one accused. photos show him on his cell phone while riding his motorcycle in 50-mile-per-hour traffic. an internal investigation found no wrongdoing on the officer's part stating it is not a safety concern for an officer to briefly check a cell phone while riding. in california workers from seaworld try assisted an injured sea lyon but no to avail. it was netted but quickly tore through and swam away. officials don't know how the animal got speared but say if it was done on purpose it would be a federal offense. in louisiana, businesses partnered up to raise money for a charity and attempted to cook up a world record with more than 2,000 pounds of gooey pac and cheese. cheesy all you can macaroni for 5 bucks is a sure winner. no kidding. now for a look at the national weather. we turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins with the forecast. 5 bucks, that's dangerous especially if it's all you can eat. no wonder all those 2,000 pounds is almost gone. >> can you imagine the big stick of butter they had to put in that. that's my favorite part when you add the keyes and butter. >> butter makes everything delicious. >> let's chat about matthew. we haven't had a bad storm that's killed a lot of people, done a lot of damage but this tropical storm probably will. it's not because it's big and ferocious but because of the areas it will hit, mountainous terrain and produce a ton of rain in nicaragua, belize and eventually up into mexico. it will linger for probably seven days and that's going to bring some real big threat of mud slides especially. the storm itself right now not all that intense, just a tropical storm. it may not even become a hurricane ever. it's going to be right along the coast this weekend and then it stalls 0 out, monday, tuesday, wednesday, going five days it now and still going to be only sitting over the yucatan. you notice that general drift to the north. there is a chance after it moves near the land areas here it could head up into the caribbean or maybe into the gulf of mexico and redevelop next week. that's why we have to watch it in the united states. this is wednesday next week so we got a long ways, you know, a lot of changes that will probably happen in the forecast. any time you get the storms near the warm water but also near land, the intensity is to flip a coin if this will be a depression or could be a huge hurricane so that's why we got to watch matthew. all of our computers models are all over the place. some stall it out and some bring it up towards cuba and others leave it and dissipate it. a lot of questions with matthew we'll answer in the days ahead. forecastwise on this friday, ridiculous h conditions have continued from d.c. to atlanta and looks like it's going to continue for maybe a day or two then this cold front will cool us off. this front today will cool off kansas city and st. louis and also chicago with some light rain. as i mentioned eventually it makes its way to the eastern seaboard. look at this. today, 95 in washington, d.c. this has been an incredible, incredible streak of hot conditions there and i mean 95, almost the end of september. >> what happened to autumn? >> it will arrive on sunday but this will be an unusual day on the eastern seaboard. >> bill, thank you. unexpected unemployment, the rent-a-car war continues and the crocodile conundrum. your first look at the business headlines is straight ahead. a milestone for ichiro. bautista joins an exclusive club. when i was seventeen, 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[ monkey cheeps ] ♪ maryland residents can save up to $780 while funds last. . welcome back. i'm arana sohn. here's some top stories. for the first time in nearly a century the state of virginia carried out an execution on a woman. last night 41-year-old these have lewis was put to death for arranging the murders of her husband and stepson to collect a $250,000 insurance policy. a small plane crashed and burst into flames during an air show watched by hundreds of schoolchildren. the pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft and is in critical condition. a pakistani scientist known as lady al qaeda has been sentenced to 86 years in prison for trying to kill u.s. soldiers and intelligence officers in afghanistan. startling findings from a government study that shows one in five gay and bisexual men in the united states, 20%, have the hiv virus. in nearly half of those, they do not know they are infected. that compares to an overall american hiv rate of just 0.05%. 1950s entertainer eddie fisher who sparked one of the greatest show business scandals when he left debbie reynolds for elizabeth taylor has died. he died due to complications from recent hip surgery. eddie fisher was 82. . now here's your "first look" at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 10,6662 after falling 76 points yesterday. the s&p lost 9 points and nasdaq dipped 7. taking a look at overseas trading this morning. in tokyo the sneak say shed 4 points. until investors see improvement on the jobs front, markets are likely to remain unsteady. initial claims for jobless and -- jobless aid rose unexpectedly for the first time in five weeks and investors see that as a red flag that companies are still cutting back. a slight improvement in sales of existing homes in august failed to offset foreign financial worries. weak data out of ireland and germany fueled concerns that recent european austerity measures may not be enough. the food and drug administration is putting new restrictions on the diabetes drug avandia after it was banned in europe due to reported heart risk. elsewhere on capitol hill, the house voted to repeal exemptions given to the securities and exchange commission that kept a lid on government data about the nation's financial firms. and for the first time in 20 years a federal communications commission is opening up large amounts of unused broadcast airwaves in a long fought battle to make high-speed wireless broadband access more widely available. back on the street the battle for dollar thrifty car rental continues a week before shareholders were to vote on an approved $1.4 billion bid from herst. . keep an eye on nike. finally, talk about adding insult to injury. residents in the mexican state of vera cruz cleaning up after heavy flooding brought on by hurricane karl are being warned 280 crocodiles are on the loose in the area after escaping during the storm. >> it's not okay for cc an immaculate interception and major league milestones. major league action off the field as one fan goes too far trying to catch a foul ball. your "first look" is state ahead. who's your somebody? eating campbell's healthy request can help. 25 delicious soups with low cholesterol, zero grams trans fat, and a healthy level of sodium. because heart healthy is good for your life... and the people in it. healthy request from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. i can take one airline out... and another home. so with more flight options, i can find the combination that gets me there and back quickest. where you book matters. expedia. you're checking out my awesome headband. that's when you find out your cut-rate insurance it ain't payin' for this. so get allstate. 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[ male announcer ] ducati knows it's better for xerox to manage their global publications. so they can focus on building amazing bikes. with xerox, you're ready for real business. . welcome back to "first look." the tampa bay rays trounced the yankees leading the race for the division title a sprint to the finish line. here's fred roggin. >> good morning. it was a chance for either the yanks for rays to pull away yet after four games we're back to where we started after a split in the big apple. cc sabathia, he walked rodriguez. rays up 4-3. that was it for cc charged with a season high seven runs. the thing that was frustrating. vasquez hit not one, not two but three straight batters and ties a major league mark. they won it 10-3 a half back of the yanks. smashes league leading 50th homer of the year, becoming the 26th player to reach the mark. the mariners ichiro accomplished an impressive feat a single in the fifth gave him 200 hits for the tenth straight season. funny moment, down the third baseline. he took a stumble head over heels onto the field. that's embarrassing. blue jays won it 1-0. juan ouribe got it going an capped it off with a grand slam. first to hit two home runs in one inning this season. they won in a rout 13-0. the cards' albert pujols knows a thing about hitting a long ball. he's got 41 on the year. cards win it easily 9-2. finally great play in college football. number 19 miami and pittsburgh, the hurricanes jacoby harris tossed it up and a one-handed interception. spectacular play by the sophomore. that was the lone bright spot for the panthers and miami rolled 31-3. that's your first look at sports. have a great weekend. i'm fred roggin. >> go, miami. now for another quick look at the weather. here's bill karins with the weather channel forecast. >> you live in miami. we should tell everyone. been to one of the football games down there. >> absolutely. >> it's a good time. >> getting better. let's talk about the weekend forecast. a very warm morning out there and it's going to be feeling like summer for probably one or two more days. pittsburgh is 73. it's 76 to start your morning in buffalo. you just don't see that but soon the temperatures will drop a little bit there. d.c. will be very warm today. if we get a lot of sunshine we could easily be in the mid-90s today. the forecast is calling for 95. almost 90 in philly today. a little more cloud cover to the north. that's why it will be cooler around new york and boston but a record high in new york city is 89. we're not far away from that. it's unusual to be this warm this late in the season. weekend forecast for today, the cooler air arrives for chicago and kansas city, there are some showers on that front. then the cooler air begins to move into the east. instead of 90s in the 80s. it's not until sunday that the really cool stuff begins to get into atlanta and the deep south. this is your first real relief from the summer heat and i'm sure it will be very enjoyable as we get into your sunday. >> all right, bill, thank you. moviegoers flocked to theaters to see an animated 3-d animated adventure about owls. or will gordon gekko hit box office gold? ♪ [ male announcer ] we all need people who will be there for us in life. people who say, "we're with you, no matter what." at wachovia and wells fargo, we're with you, when a house turns into a home... ...when a passion becomes a career... ♪ ...when a relationship turns into a lifetime... and when all the hard work finally pays off. we're with you when you need someone to stand by you. wachovia, wells fargo, and you. together we'll go far. aveeno hair shines in real life. new aveeno nourish plus shine with active naturals wheat smooths damaged cuticles for 75% more shine in one use. real shine, for real life. yours. [ female announcer ] new aveeno nourish plus shine. . welcome back to "first look." i'm arana sohn. time now for your first look at entertainment news. up on the silver screen look for a razor close finish for number one. first the obvious. wall street was one of the iconic movies of the 1980s. the sequel "wall street: money never sleeps" features michael douglas as gordon gekko an has shiloh laboeuf but only so-so with the younger crowd and it's their lukewarm favorite to take the number one spot. at first glance "legend of the guardians" may not seem like a contender but it's based on a popular book series and there haven't been many family options in theaters lately. pose see it finishing a close second but a few experts have gone out on a limb and chosen it as the upset winner with more than 20 million. bill, tgif. >> yes, very much so and i don't know, doesn't -- wall street -- we'll see how it goes. >> you have to be in the mood for that i'm sure it's a film you've got to think and use your brain a bit. >> yeah, it's stressful enough. we've had such a bad economy for so long and have to watch a movie about it. >> i'm arana sohn and this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned. "way too early with willie geist" starts right now. . drama at the u.n. the united states delegation walks out during mahmoud ahmadinejad's nutty speech. the question is could the u.s. take lunch during his speech and save themselves the trouble of getting up and leaving? republicans roll out their pledge to americans. the question is, how long did it take the democrats to come up with the line, plague to america which doesn't even really make sense? controversy on "sesame street." she's pulled off for flashing too much cleavage at elmo. the question is isn't it time after all these years elmo was exposed to a little adult content? good morning. i'm willie geist