coming up on "early today," the experts say they have got ebola under control as the number of cases grows around the globe. this 19-year-old chicago man is the latest american accused of trying to join isis as the terror group gains more territory near the turkish border. huge pay bay for floyd mayweather who claims he won a $1.5 million bet. it has been a rough week for people riding in hot air balloons. the french take the eiffel tower to the next level. and the story of the day that will melt your heart. it is tuesday, october 7th. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm dara brown. a first in the ebola outbreak,

first case contracted outside of africa. she's a nurse in spain, over 2,000 miles away from the virus in west africa. the woman is now in isolation. her husband is reportedly in quarantine. the nurse's only symptom is fever. last month, she treated an infected priest back from sierra leone. it comes as the u.s. makes a move to catch new cases. nbc's tracie potts is in washington. good morning, tracie. >> dara, good morning. what president obama after meeting with his team wants to do is beef up security at our own airports. we have seen people getting their temperatures taken, and being asked questions as they leave africa. now president obama wants to bring some of that here to the u.s. >> we don't have a lot of margin for error. >> reporter: for now the u.s. will not ban travel from west africa, but is considering more screening to fight ebola. that could mean the cdc at major airports taking temperatures and asking questions plus making sure health care workers know what to look for.

>> they don't really feel prepared. they have more questions. they have concerns. >> reporter: the pentagon is sending up to 3600 troops to build hospitals and train workers in africa. >> there is no day come that people don't die. >> reporter: president obama says he'll pressure other big countries to do more. >> countries that think they can sit on the sidelines and just let the united states do it, that will result in a less effective response. >> reporter: some lawmakers want the president to name an ebola czar, one government official to oversee our response. the latest patient, nbc freelance photographer ashoka mukpo, is in isolation in omaha. >> heart wrenching when you've got a loved up with who is as sick as he is, all you want to do is curl up next to them and tell them it's going to be okay and be close to them and obvi s obviously you can't do that. >> reporter: the first patient diagnosed in the u.s., thomas duncan remains in critical condition in dallas, he's being

given an experimental treatment. the cdc is laser focused on what is going on in dallas and monitoring the contacts with with duncan, they're looking at the big picture, dara, and trying to make sure that large cities with african populations, large african populations are monitored so there is no outbreak there. >> thank you for that update, tracie potts reporting live from washington, d.c. militant group isis took more positions in the key town of co-bahny today. kurdish refugees in turkey protested another the border with syria. they want to help fight isis. but tear gas was fired hoping to clear them as more troops and tanks move in. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in turkey. >> reporter: he's the latest american accused of trying to join isis, 19-year-old mohammed hamzah khan from suburban chicago. he was arrested saturday at o'hare, about to board a flight to istanbul. according to a federal criminal complaint, khan's residence was

searched after his arrest and authorities found documents that express support for isil and disgust at western society, describing it as filth. also found, a three-page letter to his parents saying he was on his way to syria to join isis. first and foremost, please make sure to not tell the authorities, he wrote, according to the complaint. after days of fighting, isis militants stormed into the syrian city of kobani, so close to the turkish border, na when they raised their black flag, troops could see it. turkey says more tanks and troops to reinforce the border, but so far turkish troops have not crossed into syria. isis wants to widen the war, hoping it will become a quagmire that will swallow its enemies. >> nbc's richard engel reporting. now, a major status change for dozens of same sex couples, married. today, more than 60% of

americans live in states where same sex marriage is legal. that went from 19 to 24 states yesterday. it will eventually jump to 30 states in weeks. yesterday morning, the high court refused to hear seven lower court rulings that struck down same sex marriage in five states. couples in states like virginia, o oklahoma and utah wasted no time tying the knot. scott walker told the associated press, quote, it is over in wisconsin, saying the fight to end same sex marriage in his st will end. online news media site buzzfeed wrote congressional republicans virtually silent on supreme court marriage decision. a new law requiring a 72 hour waiting period for abortions goes into effect this week in missouri.

they're asking the court to block a new law that forces miners to undergo a court trial if they want an abortion without parental consult. though 36 other states have a similar law, what is unprecedented is the alabama law allowing the district attorney to appoint a lawyer for the fetus. that lawyer can then call witnesses to testify against the pregnant girl. it is a concern patients waking up during surgery, every year around 3 million operations are done in the uk, 158 patients will wake up says the royal college of anecessary that sifts and they can't aleft doctors. their muscles are paralyzed. the cause, bad an steesia. the good news, the episodes tend to be quick. he's the most decorated olympian ever, and now a dui arrest has him banned for six months. he won't be able to swim competitively. the suspension means no 2015 world championship and no funding during that time. he was arrested in baltimore last week for driving his white range rover under the influence.

this was his second dui. phelps says he'll seek treatment. new york's famed waldorf astoria has become the most expensive hotel ever sold. in a nearly $2 billion deal, hilton worldwide holdings sold the landmark hotel to china based buyer onbai insurance group. they will continue to operate the property for the next 100 years and the hotel will undergo a major renovation. and now it is time for a look at the weather. and with that, here is nbc's meteorologist bill karins. >> something fun will happen, 24 hours from right now. >> yes. i'm very excited about this. >> are you going to try to see it? we're talking about the blood moon, of course. a total lunar eclipse. they call it a blood moon because without the light of the sunshine and the moon, the light from the earth is reflaktreflec to the moon and gives you an idea of how much dust is in the air, a reddish hue. 3:30 to 4:30 in the morning west

coast time. if you want to join, you can watch the show, commercial break, run outside, check out the moon and it should be pretty good show. except if you get blocked by the clouds. that's the big question that of course tropical storm simon, very bottom of the screen, spreading a lot of clouds this morning over southern california and into arizona. who would have guessed out of any state in the united states during the hurricane season, tropical season, who would guess the worst weather for all the storms. arizona. this is like the fourth or third or fourth storm that brought rain into the state. we have a flash flood threat as we go throughout tuesday night into wednesday. we can see a little bit of the rain trying to sneak up there into southern california. again, mostly arizona that will get the rain from this, but even as extreme southern california will make you get a little bit. that's your national weather. is

of the west too. 81 in washington. little trivia fact there, arizona getting the worst from the hurricanes. >> remarkable. and they probably won't be able to see this when it is coming out. >> arizona does not look good. >> clouds, tough one. we'll replay it, plenty of video -- >> live on the internet. >> thank you, bill. is america's surplus military hardware falling into the wrong american hands? plus, with a half billion dollar street value, a major cocaine bust. and another reason to plan that trip to paris. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. a four-day protest is about to begin this friday. supporters of slain teacher michael brown will hit the streets in ferguson, missouri. police will no longer tell them to keep moving if they're peaceful and protesting in a peaceful manner. a federal judge says that violates their first amendment

rights. remember the military equipment police used in ferguson during the protests. the associated press found the surplus program is so popular, it led to a coroner getting his hands on a humvee, an assault rifle and handgun. he said he needs it to protect himself. he says he was so high out of his mind on marijuana he doesn't remember what happened that night three days after the bombing. he also says he was forced into giving a confession. a gust of wind sends a bounce house somersaulting through the air. 30 kids were in it at the time. 13 were injured. a 3-year-old girl is in critical condition with a fractured skull. the company says it didn't reinforce the inflatable because they thought it was too heavy to flip. more than 28,000 pounds of cocaine, the coast guard seized it during a string of 18 busts along the central and south american coasts during the past three months. street value is $423 million. the new glass gloor floors

installed in the eiffel tower, part of a makeover and rebranding on the 125th birthday. hold on up there. surgeons at a hospital in new york city used a 3-d printed copy of a heart to save a 2 week old baby's life. here is what that model looks like. doctors say the baby's heart has several holes and was unusually shaped. so they printed a 3-d mod toll study the organ before surgery. they were able to repair the baby's heart in one operation. "early today" brought to you by vagisil, the experts in intimate health. time to get down to business. another recall for general motors, this one for 57,000 pontiac g-8s chevy caprice markmar. for those keeping score, this is gm's 50th recall this year and the number of people killed by

faulty ignition switches is 24 by friday. yahoo! hacked. three computer servers were attacked but no user data was compromised. texas beef producer sam cane is recalling about 91,000 pounds of ground beef. at least four customers reported pieces of metal found in meat with one reportedly chipping a tooth. last night, floyd mayweather said he won $1.4 million in a single bet. he posted this receipt on instagram adding the caption, before i went on a two-week vacation, i bet $720,000 and i walked away with $1.4 million. when you're betting on andrew, it is never luck. was there sabotage in the game between the bills and lions? and a sign your hot air balloon ride is about to go bad. >> oh, no. they're going to hit. they're going to hit. oh, no! holy [ bleep ]. >> a close call in new mexico, a balloon hit some power lines during a festival.

sparks went flying. luckily no one was hurt.

♪ nice day for a white wedding ♪ from rock 'n' roll to country tunes, two great performances from rocker billy idol and country star jason aldean. they're both live this morning on "today." on to sports now. and they can't pitch. that's what's hurting the los

angeles dodgers. case in point, seventh inning, colton long, 407 feet, a two-run home run. st. louis, 3-1. later, a dodgers relief pitcher with a big stop for a double play. and too late, st. louis leads the series 2-1. a beautiful day by the bay almost the same for san francisco star pitcher madison bumgarn bumgarner. he goes to third base instead. washington nationals get two runs and top it off in the ninth with a home run winning it 4-1. giants still lead 2-1. another washington team not so lucky. monday night football. russell wilson rushed for a career high 122 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown against washington. seattle overcomes more than a dozen penalties, three that wiped out apparent touchdowns, winning it 27-17. lasers. two buffalo players complained about them at the game. dan carpenter said his holder

had had a green light in his eye. he missed that kick. laser pointers are banned in the stadiums. no fans are identified. buffalo still beat detroit 17-14. long time philadelphia sports announcer bill campbell has passed away. the voice of the phillies, 76ers and eagles, one signature call, the eagles championship game over green bay. listen up. >> the game's over. the game's over. the eagles are the champions of the world. >> campbell died due to complications of a fall. he was 91. and meet jp gibson. utah jazz find a 5-year-old free agent to a one day contract. >> working through the -- novak misses on the steal. he goes by. he slides by, he rises to the rim and hammers! jp gibson with a two-hand flush. >> jp has leukemia, the jazz and

anything can beat project which provides hope to families affected by childhood cancer. great stuff there. just ahead, a three-year restraining order for a modern family star. comedy legend carol burnett stops by "the tonight show" and jimmy fallon can't contain himself. next.

it was a blast from the past last night on "dancing with the stars." alfonso ribeiro did the carleton. that's the dance made famous

from his years on "the fresh prince of bel air." go, carlton. "modern family's" sarah hyland's ex-boyfriend, actor matt prokop got a three-year restraining order. the actress claims he abused the star and physically attacked her in may. whatever it is that makes 7-up so refreshingly different, the other soft drinks never had it, never will. >> that iconic voice of jeffrey holder will not be heard again. the actor passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from pneumonia. while famous for his role in the james bond film "live or let die," holder was most known for his deep voice and hearty laugh. i was so nervous yesterday that i was shaking. my nerves were pulling. >> teresa giudice appeared on "watch what happens live" last night in her first post sentencing interview. it's been reported bravo paid the giudice's $325,000 to appear, but remember, teresa has

to pay over $200,000 towards restitution when she turns herself over. and carol burnett dropping by the "tonight show" last night to talk to jimmy fallon to discuss their careers. >> a lot of people say, when i was coming up on "saturday night live" we had a lot in common because they thought that we broke character a lot in sketches and started laughing. >> i never did. >> neither did i. >> no, i never did. >> no, i never would -- >> i watched you all the time. i was amazed at how you could keep it together. >> thank you so much. >> that's what i was thinking. >> carol burnett -- >> did you want to be carol burnett? >> absolutely. i watched everything. the whole -- i loved it. i'm dara brown. this is "early today." we hope it is your first stop of the day on nbc.

more than 1,000 people gathered sunday for the opening of the 26th and final playground honoring the lives of those lost at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut, nearly two years ago. nbc's brian williams attended the grand opening of the playground in watertown, connecticut. >> reporter: on a startlingly beautiful october day, happy children swarmed all over the brand-new playground in connecticut dedicated to dawn lafferty hawkstra, the principal who died trying to protect her children at sandy hook elementary school nearly two years ago now. after the ceremony and the flyover and the honor guard, there was raw emotion. a reading from a book that dawn loved to read to the children.

it was led by one of her daughters. the young children don't understand why this playground was built, but their faces remind us what it's meant for. >> it is amazing. she would be so, so happy. >> all 26 of the memorial sandy hook playgrounds are now happy places. they're all scattered around the new york area in towns that also suffered damage from hurricane sandy, and at each one the family members pitched in. >> i put my hand in this. >> for the other families who lost someone at sandy hook, this project has held so much meaning. >> we became a family with all the firefighters. >> our little daniel loved to go to playgrounds. it's a beautiful tribute. >> today our angels are looking down at us, looking, wow, this is the final one. and it's beautiful. >> reporter: the group behind this is a foundation called where angels play. they plan to continue doing this in places where there's been

tragedy like boston, aurora, colorado, and moore, oklahoma. bill leifen is the founder of this project. he's a retired firefighter. he told me it doesn't get more personal for him. if you close your eyes? can you see all 26? do they all have a special meaning to you? >> every single one has a miracle that's happened. i think of the moms and dads who have inspired this group here who will work from dawn to dusk and then thank me for allowing them to do all that. you know, they'll thank us. quite frankly, this is our blessing and privilege. >> incredible. >> a blessing and a privilege, such a terrible tragedy. >> i hope they move it on to the smile and the joy of the kids, helps a little bit. >> it is great to watch everybody smiling there. i'm dara brown along with bill karins. thanks for watching "early today." have a great tuesday.

and a good tuesday morning. it's 4:30 a.m. i'm sam brock. >> and i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to this morning. let's first check that forecast with christina loren. >> good morning, laura and sam and everybody at home. we have just a little bit of fog out there. as we head throughout your afternoon, temperatures are going to be noticeably cooler, and a lot of people are looking forward to that cooler weather. so we've got a lot to go over this morning, including a shower chance for the end of next week. so stick around. we'll talk about