al shabab or go there and try to fight along with al shabab. just yesterday a chicago man was arrested as he tried to leave the country, the fbi said he had been under surveillance for a year and a half. so, we'll learn more about these new charges here in about an hour with a news conference with attorney general. folks from the fbi and attorney office in three states that have these new charges. >> pete, before we let you get out of here. 12 of the arrests or 12 of the charges are coming from the minneapolis-st. paul area. why so many charges coming from that part of minnesota, particularly? >> i think that number may have to do with a total of all the cases that have been brought recently. not necessarily those today. but there is a considerable sumaolly community in the twin city areas and the fbi has been working very aggressively trying to get the cooperation with some success of families in that area to try to urge their young people not to, not to abide by these calls to come up with and join jihad. there has been a real effort to try to counter this trend by the community and by law enforcement. >> pete, thanks so much. noon press conference. i know we'll get more from you then. a reaction to a federal judge striking down proposition 8. gay and lesbian activists are cheering that historic ruling while opponents of same-sex marriage plan their appeals. >> this is not a republican or democratic issue. not a conservative, not a liberal issue. it's a human rights. a civil rights issue. this was a great victory for gays and lesbians and the children that they raise. >> a terrible blow to natural marriage, the voters rights, the constitution and this republic we call the united states of america. >> john clemak is in front of the beverly hills courthouse and i understand you're there because that's a symbolic location in all of this. >> yeah, it is, craig. here is where the first same-sex couple, lesbian couple was married here in may of 2008. there was a little five-month window where folks were allowed to get married. same-sex couples allowed to get married. the first one happened here in beverly hills and that happened right before the voters went to the polls and actually did vote this into effect. >> real quickly here, what's the mood like there? i know you have been covering this story for a number of days there. what are people there saying on the streets? >> a lot of emotion on both sides of the issue. you heard there a few sound bites from folks who have some concerns about what happens now as they move forward. obviously, there are some appeals that have to go through. the judge himself, judge von walker when he made his decision just yesterday he added a stay to it which means you couldn't start going to the county clerks office and get the license because they want to see where the appeal process goes. right now the ninth u.s. circuit court which means it will affect nine u.s. western states and, of course, it moves on from there and moves on to the u.s. supreme court. it could have an impact nationwide. >> john, thank you, appreciate that. bp announcing just the past hour it has started pumping cement into its blown out well in the gulf of mexico in its effort to seal that well for good. nbc michelle fran zn joining us live now from venice, louisiana. this is huge, this is another significant step. >> it is, craig. this is why. you know, if you think about it, the static kill was the first time in that 108 days that they had control, gained control over that blown-out well. they did so by pumping the mud and now they're going to add another insurance, another layer of redundancy on that. sealing it from the top with cement. of course, incident commander thad allen gave bp the green light to do that as long as it doesn't interfere with the end all, the bottom kill, the next phase that should permanently plug that well for good. that should get under way in the next few days and that should wrap up by mid-august and that involves, also, pumping in cement at the bottom level, the sea floor level of that relief well that intersects with that mcconda well. >> michelle franzen, thank you. a tragic end this morning to the search for a 2-year-old boy missing in arizona. searchers found the body of emmett trapp about a mile from his home near prescott. he apparently wandered into the desert. we get the details this morning from lee cowan. >> that little toddler walked an astonishing three to four miles all by himself in this desert, but, apparently, he was walking in circles. >> reporter: in the end, 2-year-old emmett trapp was found less than a mile from his home in his dinosaur pajamas in a muddy ravine. emmett had been missing since monday when he walked away from his home while the rest of his family was napping. all along, investigators insisted that there was no foul play, that emmett had simply wandered off. >> like a 2-year-old, doesn't even know he's lost. he's just out on an adventure at first and he's walking around and then he starts needing things like food and water and that's when he gets concerned. >> reporter: nearly 100 rescuers scoured the desert to find him, using horses, helicopters and more. but it was actually hikers who accidentally stumbled on some tiny footprints that led investigators to the remote and very rugged spot where emmett was finally found. >> that little boy, he went through a lot. he went really far. >> reporter: and residents fear he endured even more. >> knowing that he could have possibly been out there for three days by himself, hungry, thirsty, wanting his mama, you know. >> reporter: this morning, a family in mourning after a little boy's curiosity of the outdoors turned deadly. an autopsy is expected to be performed, but every indication is at this point is that this little boy just died of exposure out here from the harsh elements and nothing more. >> lee, thanks. in an hour, the senate will hold a final vote on a $26 billion aid package to cash-strapped states. the bill would give governors some $16 billion to close their deficits. the remaining $10 billion would go to save teacher jobs. it is such a critical measure that house speaker nancy pelosi is actually calling back lawmakers from their august recess to pass this bill next week. luke russert joining me now from capitol hill. luke, how are democrats able to pull this thing off? >> well, it's quite amazing, craig. yesterday for the first time i would say in the history of the nation the entire government was called back into session next week from a tweet. nancy pelosi tweeting, i'll be calling the house back into session early next week to save teachers' jobs and help seniors and children. that's the plan right now for the first time since 2005 and the aftermath of hurricane katrina. the house has been called back from their august recess to come back to washington and take care of legislative business. this is a very important bill for democrats. it is $26 billion. $10 billion goes to prevent teacher layoffs. people are saying this is really important because it will allow teachers to stay on the job giving them a few months severance pay and keep teachers paid and keep kids learning all the way until christmas. republicans are saying, well, this is a complete cop out to teacher unions a group that consistently votes for democrats day in and day out. that was slated to run out early next year and now continue for a few months after that and a big financial piece of legislation that will help democrats cater to the constituent groups heading into the november midterms. craig? >> how are they going to pay for it, luke? >> it's quite interesting. it is paid for, so it does not add to the deficit. two things we're going to do. draw down over $11.8 billion in food stamp funding. so, some democrats are upset about that. there is also going to be a tax added to companies that ship jobs overseas. republicans are saying it is going to be a tax hike because essentially what it does is if you are going, if you're a foreign company and you're going it build some sort of plant here in the united states, you cannot, if you ship jobs overseas you'll be taxed higher. it will be interesting to see how that plays out. it is paid for and typically not added to the deficit at this time. >> luke russert on the hill for us, luke, thanks, buddy. >> good to see you on msnbc, my friend. >> thank you so much, appreciate it. to the heat now. the seemingly endless heat wave now starting to have some deadly consequences. at least 13 have died in tennessee and mississippi and kansas storm reporting that four more deaths in missouri could be heat related. the heat now baking some 18 states stretching from texas to new york. weather channel's mike seidel in memphis, tennessee, where it's actually 88 degrees but it feels like it's 101. mike, that continues to be the story. not the actual temperature, but the heat index. >> right. we just got the update for the top of the hour, it's now 91 and the heat index is 104. what's saving us right now, craig, the fact that we have some showers that have built up between here and jackson and nashville east of here. we have clouds that have come in and as you well know, we check the temperature in the shade. if you're in the direct sun 10 to 15 degrees warmer. we're saving at least a little bit of the solar insulation from hitting us on the back of the neck. beal street this place was packed last night temperatures at 8:00 were in the mid and upper 90s. did not drop below the century mark until almost midnight last night. take a look at the heat indices. as you mention, the heat spreading up the eastern seaboard but cut off at the past. a pretty hefty front coming in and severe weather today from boston, new york, down to philadelphia and d.c. so, one hot, humid day there. meanwhile down here the front will cut the heat back a little bit. tomorrow and friday only in the mid-90s here in memphis and in the mid-south which is above average and then the heat will rebuild as we get into the first part of the week. remember, check in on the elderly. that's the best thing to do and on those who cannot afford to run their air conditioners. as we saw in 1995, that's how most of the 700 deaths were accounted for in chicago during that deadly heat wave. >> and you're there in memphis where they're having elections day. primary and local general elections. so, mike seidel, thanks so much. appreciate that. police dash cam captures the dramatic ending to a police chase. check this out, police released the video showing the july 22nd chase. officers started chasing the car after the teenage driver stole it. now, watch here as authorities pull up on the suspect, he puts that thing in reverse, car slams into the hood of the police car before flippingorve. after that crash, police arrested the teenage suspect. new developments this morning in a bizarre double life drama caught on facebook. lynn france of cleveland says she discovered that her husband, john france, had married another woman after finding photos of the wedding on facebook. despite that second wedding, though, lynn said that she and john reconciled last year. but this past may, john left lynn for good taking their two young children with him. now, the two are fighting for custody. today john is living his new life in florida with his new wife, amanda. there she is. on nbc's "today" show john said the marriage to his first wife, lynn, was never valid and he plans to prove that in court. >> i was not carrying on a double life, no way. i'm not an angel, but i did not carry around a double life. lynn knew everything i was doing. for two years, where did she think the kids were going? i where do you think the kids are going? now she brings it up two and a half years later. >> one quick point, you got back with her. in 2009 you reconciled, is that true? >> no. >> you never went back? amanda? >> she has to say that. why would she say that? >> we have proof in documents, you know, i'm going back and forth from ohio to florida and i try to make it as convenient as possible for her where i would do all the leg work, all the traveling. >> lynn says she and john married in italy in 2005 and their marriage is valid. today, president obama talking jobs, jobs, jobs and he's doing it at a ford plant in chicago. mr. obama expected to speak at any moment. of course, when it happens, we'll bring it to you live. also history on capitol hill, the senate is expected to confirm elena kagan to the supreme court later today. we'll talk about what her addition to the high court might mean and what it might not mean. later super model on the stand. what naomi campbell had to say about her encounter with war crimes trial. this is msnbc. ♪ with what i feel for you ♪ i could hang around till the leaves are brown and the summer's gone ♪ [ announcer ] when you're not worried about potential dangers, the world can be a far less threatening place. take the scary out of life with travelers insurance... and see the world in a different light. i'm from the gulf coast. my family spends a lot of time here. i have a personal interest in ensuring that we get this job done right. i'm keith seilhan. i'm in charge of bp's clean up on the gulf coast. bp's taken full responsibility for the clean up, and that includes keeping you informed. over 25,000 people are included in the clean up operation. our crews are cleaning the gulf beaches 24/7. we're going to be here as long as it takes to make this right. developing new, president obama about to speak at the ford assembly plant in chicago. we understand the president is touring the facilities now, it could be a while before he speaks. john horwood joining me from the white house. john, of course, the president loves to be seen on factory floors wearing the goggles. point to one of the most famous and say that the stimulus is working. >> ford announcing they are adding 1,200 jobs at this plant and this plant is making sport utility vehicles for export, among other things. it's part of the administration's attempt, craig, to take and make tangible the effects of its economic recovery strategy and when unemployment is as high as it is, almost 10%, they need every sign they can get. >> consumer spending down and the auto industry, one of perhaps the few feathers in the caps of the white house. do we expect the white house to continue to talk about the once ailing auto industry over the next few months leading into the november election? >> no question about it. especially since the rust belt is such an important part of the electoral campaign this fall for the mid-term elections. so, the white house is going to be talking about these. now, with gm and chrysler, they're talking about companies that benefited from u.s. intervention. ford did not really take the bailout and, so, that's a different kind of story. but anything that restores the health of that iconic industry is going to help the administration and i got to tell you, craig, the president got a birthday present yesterday when the senate unexpectedly approved $26 billion to avert teacher layoffs in states and also help pay for medicaid expansion. that is something that economists think will also provide some economic benefit. that's something the president can talk about, as well. >> you mention that birthday. also got to hang out with oprah last night. john, going to let you get out of here. before i let you go, the president doing a quick fund-raiser in chicago, as well tonight, right? >> he is doing several fund-raisers while in chicago and raising money is one of the chief ways he can help. some districts where he is very unpopular and not going to be visiting but that cash will help his candidates get ads on the air. >> live from the white house, folks, president obama set to talk to folks at that plant in chicago. when that happens we will, of course, bring it to you live. coming up, those chilling 911 tapes from the deadly workplace shooting in connecticut. what did the tapes tell us about the shooter and why he may have gone on that deadly rampage. we'll talk about that. plus, later, one of the last people to see anna nicole smith alive is expected to take the stand today. we'll talk to the judge who presided over the former play mate's body. custody hearing in florida. 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>> i don't know. >> okay, you don't know and you're shot where? >> in my head. he's still shooting. he's shooting at a girl. >> reporter: dozens of workers at this beer wholesaler as he continued his murderous rampage with two handguns. >> he used to work there? >> yeah, i just fired him. >> today? >> just now before he started shooting. >> reporter: at times picking and choosing his victims. >> i'm in the back storage paper closet. >> stay right there and we'll come to you. >> help me, please, help me. >> we are trying to get ems in to you. >> i know for a fact two people here are dead. not in my office, but in the hallway. they were both shot right in the head. >> reporter: it would be the deadliest workplace history in connecticut state history. nine lives lost, including the shooter. >> yes, i'm in the building. >> are you in the back hiding? >> i don't want to get up. do you have him? >> we do not have him yet. >> it's unbelievable. it's like a nightmare. i just can't believe it. can't believe it happened. can't believe the guys are gone. >> reporter: late wednesday, this tight knit connecticut community gathered for a memorial. still searching for answers, even as they mourn an unthinkable loss. >> peter alexander reporting there. president obama just taking the stage at that assembly plant in chicago after turning facilities there he is thanking some folks from the podium. we'll listen in on the other side of this break. i can find the combination that gets me there and back quickest. where you book matters. expedia. a rich and airy treat. ♪ because after you've washed the bills... and paid all the dishes... it's finally me o'clock. enjoy it with mousse temptations. three decadent flavors. 60 calories. it's me o'clock. time for jell-o. president obama speaking now at that factory, that ford plant in chicago. let's listen in. >> this plant has stood through the good times when american auto industry ruled the world. and in the not so good times. when the future of the auto industry was very much in debt. let's face it, we've seen some of those not so good times in recent years. the year before i took office, this industry lost hundreds of thousands of jobs. sales plunged 40%. 40%. when the financial crisis hit and this great recession hit, that collided with an industry that, for a long time, had put off some hard choices. had put off adapting to changing times. and we had to face a hard unimaginable reality, which is two of the big three automakers, gm and chrysler were on the brink of liquidation. if that had happened, more than 1 million jobs could have been lost and that would have been a devastating blow to the entire economy. now, ford was in better financial shape and was able to weather without federal assistance. >> president obama speaking to a friendly crowd there in chicago. instilling the virtus of that stimulus package and also before we start to listen in, he said that that plant is "the backbone of the community there." president obama at a ford plant there. the oldest ford plant, we're told, in existence. to breaking news now, in about half an hour at noon eastern time the justice department announced that 14 people, are charged with trying to charge a somali-based terrorist organization. joining me now, bob, we've heard a lot about this organization over the past few weeks. al shabab. >> it is essentially an al qaeda affiliate who has been operating in somalia. it has been the focus of u.s. counterterrorism and intelligence efforts for the last two years because starting about two years ago, young men from minneapolis, in particular, were suddenly leaving the city and going to somalia to fight for al shabab. there's some extraordinary numbers out there. about 50 u.s. citizens are already in somalia fighting with al shabab and probably 150 others holding western passports that would permit them to enter the united states without a visa. >> bob, again, here we have another example of possibly americans being radicalized. what does this tell us about what is happening in this country right now? is this happening more frequently or is law enforcement just getting more of a leg up on it? >> it's happening more frequently and happening in a variety of different places. not just somalia. somalia is a place that there is just more of it. you are seeing it in pakistan where you had five young americans from have virginia going to jihad being arrested by pakistani terrorists. the american from new mexico recruiting americans, including major hasan, the soldier, the doctor who killed so many people in ft. hood. so, this is, this is becoming a trend and it is a very worrisome trend because we have been able to capture a lot of these people, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it won't succe succeed. >> bob woodard, thank you very much. elena kagan widely expected to be confirmed in just a few hours when the full senate holds its final vote. kagan, when it happens, will become the fourth woman ever to serve as a supreme court justice. nearly all democrats the senate's two independents and a handful of republicans are all backing her. kagan will succeed retiring justice john paul stevens who is regarded as the leader of the court's liberal wing. and just about three hours the trial involving anna nicole smith and questionis surroundin her prescription drugs will resume. two doctors prescribed massive amounts of drugs to smith, even though they were warned that she was addicted to pain killers. the two doctors, along with smith's lawyer and boyfriend, howard k. stern, have all pled not guilty to conspiracy. joining me live here in the studio is larry sideline, the judge. you presided over the hearing over what to do with anna nicole smith's body right after the playboy model died. he has also written a new book. first, your take on the proceedings yesterday. the judge yesterday told the attorneys that he was concerned about the jury's ability to separate the model's death from the charges. is it realistic to expect that the jury is going to be able to do that? >> well, they're going to question the jury and make sure these jurors don't know about her death and don't know about those fablthers. they want jurors with a blank slate that have no facts about this death. and the judge, in this case, feels that the death, if there was going to be charges filed, it should have been filed in florida because that's where the death took place. what the charges are now are excessive drugs and giving drugs to a known addict and that was done in california. and the judge said right on the record, i don't want to get into the death of anna nicole, because if someone was going to file those charges, it should have been the florida prosecu r prosecutor. >> let's talk about the charges. we're talking about a slew of charges here. more than 30 between the three of them, right? >> 11 felonies against stern and six felonies against each doctor. >> what exactly are they charged with? everything from what to what? >> they're charged with giving drugs, excessive drugs to a known addict and also giving drugs in false names to anna nicole smith. >> what is the prosecution going to have to do to make its case to win this case? >> the prosecutor has a tough job ahead because when you heard my case and i wrote about it in the book, when you heard my case, the facts that came out repulsed america, repulsed the american psyche and then new documents were given out. the prosecutors are going to have to show anna nicole was in a clouded state of mind and that these folks that stern and the two doctors were giving drugs, excessive drugs. it was like candy all around her. duffel bags of drugs were given to her. >> essentially, it seems that you have two claims. you've got one side claiming that we loved anna nicole and that we gave her these drugs essentially to help her cope with life and then you have the other side claiming that basically these folks were essentially enablers and that they were directly responsible or indirectly responsible. today body guard taking the stand. how significant is his testimony. what can we expect him to say? >> well, he's a little shaky. he said things one way and then later on he says things another way. so, his credibility is going to be called into question. i don't know how strong he's going to be for the state, for the prosecutor because the defense is going to be able to show that his testimony has been inconsistent. >> all right. thank you so much, we appreciate that, sir. >> thank you. super model naomi campbell is in the middle of another legal battle today in the netherlands. campbell testified at the war crimes trial of former liberian president charles taylor. let's get the details now from martin fletcher. what exactly is taylor on trial for for folks not familiar with that and, how does the former super model fit into all of this? >> well, craig, this is one spotlight naomi campbell does not relish. she's a very reluctant witness at the former trial of international war crimes tribunal in the hague. he is accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including rape, murder and also abusing blood diamonds to finance war. he's denied it all and that's where campbell comes in. she testified that one night 30 years ago in south africa two men knocked on her door in the middle of the night and gave her a gift. what she called durtd ed dirty d what were allegedly rough diamonds. for months campbell refused to testify and only came because she was subpoenaed. >> i didn't really want to be here, so i was made to be here. so, obviously, i'm just like wanting to get this over with and get on with my life. this is a big inconvenience for me. >> she met taylor at a dinner at nelson mandela's home in south africa and she testified before that she never heard of taylor or his country liberia or the term blood diamonds. the prosecution had hoped to show that if taylor gave campbell the rough diamonds, then he must have had some in his possession, which he always denied. campbell wasn't too helpful. she didn't really know they were diamonds or just pebbles and didn't know who gave them to her. craig? >> pebbles, all right, martin fletcher for us in london. thank you, sir, appreciate that. the wait is over. tonight, america finally gets to meet the real housewives of d.c. let's get the scoop from tod todayshow.com courtney hazlett. >> you can really sell that. i like that. >> guru. so, we can expect when you have the salahis and nothing good comes from this. >> nothing good seems to come from it. and we know we have been talking about this curfluffal at the view yesterday. >> she got into it with whoopi. >> allegedly. i think anyone who saw the tape saw it was really just a little tap she received and this was blown completely out of proportion. "the view" issued a statement later on and "the view" said accusation was unfound and erroneous and goes on from that. i mean, seriously, salahi needs to dial it back a little bit. >> like that's going to happen. >> i'm sad this incident at "the view" made her so upset when i sat down to interview the entire cast she was too upset to partake. i only got to interview the four women who said there is more to this show than just michaele salahi. >> we have points of views on issues like gay marriage and other things. >> absolutely. >> so, if you're used to turning into the "real housewives" franchise for things like table tossing and pulling of one's extensions, not going to get it on this iteration. listen, do we talk about politics. it's impossible to separate politics from real life in washington, d.c., and that's what you can expect. >> courtney hazlett, always a pleasure. of course, for the very latest entertainment news go to scoop.todayshow.com. still to come, a bunch of billionairs get together to form a club which is less for them, but a whole lot more for others. we'll tell you more about that straight ahead. a warning for anyone app applying for college financial aid. a new government report raises some serious concerns. we'll talk to a top government investigator right after this. randy johnson a bad idea? randy: sorry man, you all right? man: yeah, im good. yeah you just winged me. randy: think anybodys going to notice that? man: yeah, probably. maybe we should just go sledding... vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. there's oil out there we've got to capture. my job is to hunt it down. i'm fred lemond, and i'm in charge of bp's efforts to remove oil from these waters. bp has taken full responsibility for the cleanup and that includes keeping you informed. every morning, over 50 spotter planes and helicopters take off and search for the oil. we use satellite images, infrared and thermal photography to map and target the oil. then, the boats go to work. almost 6,000 vessels. these are thousands of local shrimp and fishing boats organized into task forces and strike teams. plus, specialized skimmers from around the world. we've skimmed over 27 million gallons of oil/water mixture and removed millions more with other methods. we've set out more than 8 million feet of boom to protect the shoreline. i grew up on the gulf coast and i love these waters. we can't keep all the oil from coming ashore, but i'm gonna do everything i can to stop it, and we'll be here as long as it takes to clean up the gulf. caught on camera, new undercover investigation reveals that some for-profit colleges have engaged in deceptive behavior to get their hands on their tax dollars. the government accountable office found out of 15 schools they investigated every single one made deceptive or questionable statements to undercover applicants and four encouraged fraudulent practices. last year for-profit colleges got $4 billion in grants. college personnel at some schools encouraging applicants to falsify their financial aid forms to qualify for financial aid or leave out required information concerning how much cash a student had on hand. >> frankly, mine poi opinion, they don't even know how much cash you have, that's why you do. >> joining me now special investigations at the government accountability office and, greg, you guy didn't just interview some folks but talk to me about how this undercover investigation was inspected? >> what it is like to deal with the sales and we visited 15 colleges across the country and found fraudulent and deceptive and otherwise questionable information provided to our perspective bogus students in all cases. as you mentioned in your opening, the most troubling is that four colleges and five individuals in total encouraged our students to commit fraud, meaning that the taxpayers would have ended up paying for students that weren't eligible for pelgrants and subsidized federal loans. >> which schools did you guys, did you guys investigate and why did you choose those schools? >> i've named them in the testimony yesterday so you have records of those. we can provide those to you. 12 different schools at 15 locations. we did not pick them because we had any specific allegations of those particular locations. so we went in and we didn't know what we were going to expect to find and we didn't know what we were going to get. as you saw, if all 15 provided something to us that was very troubling. i think this is a wake-up call for these colleges to get their act together and to police themselves better and, of course, the department of education oversees this. >> what was the impetus. what led to this undercover investigation? >> senator harkin, the chair commissioned this investigation. he's doing a series of hearings and oversight related to this industry and he asked us to do this to provide him and the other senators on this committee with an inside look and we presented that yesterday at that hearing and i think the senators were outraged. >> do we suspect that this is something that has been happening for some time and all of a sudden we're just catching on or is this a new phenomenon? >> i think this has been happening for some time. i will say there were good practices we found. not everybody at every school were completely rotten. all 15 had something. i keep getting asked those questions. given we were 15 for 15, that tells you that they are not the only 15 colleges and locations in the country that are doing this. >> an investigation is concluded now, i assume. what is the next step? what is the action that's going to be taken as a result of the investigation? >> well, we referred all four of the fraud cases to the department of education inspector general. the department is going to be able to look and share with the evidence on all 15 of the colleges. as i mentioned, hopefully this is a wake-up call for industry and your program and others are hopefully providing the public with awareness on the types of sales and marketing tactics out there so people don't get tricked and deceived in the future with the kind of tactics that we saw. >> that undercover video is pretty unbelievable. greg, thank you, appreciate that. >> thank you for having me. coming up, feeling the pinch in the magic kindom. how the tight economy is affecting ticket prices. msnbc is sponsoring a two-day health clinic in new orleans. you can donate your time or your money to those free clinics. go to freeclinics.us or go to the link on msnbc.com. [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time... time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. no, it's just for new people. hey ! chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ? chocolate ! chocolate it is ! yeah but i'm new too. umm... he's new... er... than you. even kids know it's wrong to treat new friends better than old friends. at ally bank we treat all our customers fairly. with no teaser rates... ... and no minimum deposits. it's just the right thing to do. some important new economic numbers are out this morning. new claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly last week, a sign that hiring remains weak. we're going to get the latest unemployment numbers for july tomorrow morning. also today, most retailers reported weak sales for july, as consumers continued to reign in their spending. among the stronger performers, macy's, limited, and abercrombie and fitch. those reporting disappointing sales include jcpenney and target. and if you're thinking of heading to disney world or disneyland, even, get ready to pay more. as of today, the price of a one-day adult ticket goes up. at disneyland, goes up four bucks. if that wasn't bad enough, prices for annual passes and parking fees are also going up. montana wildlife officials are taking a closer look at last week's deadly bear mauling in yellowstone national park. the officials are investigating a report that a photographer may have tried to bait the bear with food to get better shots. not only is it not smart, it's illegal to bait wild animals for photography, because they may, you know, become accustomed to handouts. the black grizzlies that killed and injured two others was joout nooids and her three cubs were sent to a montana zoo. trouble this morning for the daughter of new york mayor rudy giuliani. caroline giuliani was arrested yesterday at a new york city beauty supply store. police say security video shows her shoplifting. the 20-year-old harvard student is due in court later this month through a spokeswoman, rudy giuliani said that the case was a personal matter and asked that the media respect her privacy. well, there are some things that are considered news in this world, but there are only a few stories that make us say -- >> no way! >> i love that. i absolutely love that. music may soothe the savage beast, but perfume may be the new animal love potion. lion keepers say their lions respond to a certain scent, calvin klein's obsession for men. spraying obsession on the lions and into their area encourages what's called natural behavior. the lion keepers are not quite sure why it works, but one guess is that obsession contains cinnamon and apparently lions like cinnamon. who knew? a rare copy of the first "batman" is part of the live auction today, is part of a live auction and is expected to pull in a pretty penny. online bids have reached $35,000 for the vintage comic, which is currently owned by an alaskan comic buff. there are only 300 known copies of the 1940s issue of "batman" number one, 300 copies still in existence. that does it for me this hour. i'm craig melvin. i'll see you back here tomorrow morning at 11:00. contessa brewer picks it up at the top of the hour. >> you know what i really want to know? >> what? >> who even had the idea to find out if lions like cinnamon? >> it kind of makes you wonder if when they were trying to figure it out, if mistakes were made. >> come on, obsession for men? who likes that. >> you don't like obsession for men? >> maybe they should call it obsession for lions now. coming up, we have some serious news to get to. expecting a news conference any minute from attorney general eric holder. 14 u.s. citizens accused of trying to join a somali-based terror group linked to al qaeda. plus, the husband at the center of the alleged facebook divorce case is speaking for the first time. he says he's not a bigamist. my interview with him, coming up. and a topic that has outraged a lot of moms. what in the world is a supermodel doing telling the rest of the world they should be breast-feeding their kids. in fact, not only they should be doing it, there should be lawing requiring breast-feeding. we'll get into that ahead. stay with me. i got into one of the most expensive schools in the country! 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[ shaniya ] daddy i want more ice cream. good thursday, everybody. i'm contessa brewer, covering the big news coast to coast. we begin with breaking terror news from the justice department. any moment, attorney eric holder will announce charges against 14 people, some of whom are american citizens. he will apparently take them into custody because they were allegedly trying to join or support a somali-based terror organization. and there's the news conference we expect to see holder at momentarily. let's bring in nbc news terror analyst, michael sheehan. this is a group, the al shabaab move that deen group. >> this group came on the screen when a bunch of american groups disappeared out of the united states. they've gone to this group in somalia, this terrorist group that now shows links to al qaeda and now looks like we've arrested some back here in the u.s. a major step forward for an affiliate of al qaeda. >> it's not the first time americans have been known to join this particular somali terror group. in fact, there is an alabama native, omar homammy, i'm getting a note here, that he released some sort of rap song about the terror. >> a couple rap songs, actually. he's a pretty charismatic guy. go to a bit of a beat and he's brought the modern version of communication of rap to jihad in this version of somali jihad. >> how dangerous is this particular group to america's safety and security? >> well, on july 13th in uganda, they showed their capability to reach out of somalia into uganda