and here's a hint they're berry, berry tasty. >> so, i have strawberries and blackberries and raspberries. and you can use any combination. >> next, these kids are proving you're never too young to learn about farming or to get your hands a little dirty along the way, too. >> get yourself a handful. >> ah. >> and look what we have-- carrots. >> then, if you like food, there's only one place to go. so, i have traveled all over this entire show looking for one product, and i found it-- chocolate bacon. get your appetites ready, because "california country" starts now. [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] they're flavorful. they're colorful. and these days, you just never know where fresh california berries will turn up next. a beacon of springtime and warmer weather on the horizon, fresh california berries of every shape, size, and color are in high demand this time of year. and many of them start here along the central coast of california, where the cool coastal climate mixed with the rich soil, dedicated farmers, and skilled workers, and the perfect recipe for s

businesses, shari's berries. started in 1989, this is the place where strawberries go on a unique adventure. here, they are drizzled, dipped, dunked, and no doubt devoured by those lucky enough to receive one. >> you talk about how a company succeeds. it's got to have a product with some distinction and some appeal. and everybody loves chocolate-covered strawberries, and we do the best. we're the best at it. we're the largest in the country in making this product. we have the best mechanisms for packaging. we have the best reliability for certainty of delivery on the requested date. >> part of that reliability rests with the dozen or so growers throughout the state that the company works with on a continual basis. each flat that comes in is checked for sweetness, size, and quality. in fact, their standard has been dubbed in the industry as the shari pick, because in a business where freshness reigns, there is simply no room for error. >> so we have very particular standards that we go through. sometimes, the fiel

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more straight ahead this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning with mission final accomplished. bp says a permanent seal is now in place on its blown-out well at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. however, killing the catastrophic well off is a bittersweet victory for gulf coast residents, who fear they'll be battling the effects of the nation's worst environmental disaster for years to come. nbc's jay gray has our report. >> reporter: it began april 20th with a massive fireball and deadly flames cutting through the night air. as the deepwater horizon rig exploded, then collapsed, 11 lives were lost. and oil began to seep into the gulf, the start of the worst spill in u.s. history. now, 154 days later, government scientists say the final seal, 74 barrels of cement, is holding tight, and that the well will never leak again. president obama acknowledged the work that's been done and perhaps the more difficult job that lies ahead, in a written statement whi

the berry amendment requires the u.s. defense department to buy american for certain products that are judged to be essential to our military readiness. by american means that 100% of the product is produced and manufactured in the united states. the berry amendment helps ensure that we have a reliable domestic source for certain vital during times of war that our troops are equipped with the highest quality equipment. the berry amendment has worked well. i am not aware of any situation, mr. speaker, where it has limited the ability of our military to procure items and it has assured that our troops receive the highest quality and essential equipment. finally it helps certain costs in the long-term. h.r. 3116 will expand this requirement to the department of homeland security, d.h.s., as we all know has grown and while the berry amendment has been successful for our military, i see no reason why it would not be equally as successful for d.h.s. the requirement is not unlimited because government procurement policies are al

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning with on the defensive. at a town hall held by cnbc in the nation's capital, president obama held his ground while frustrated citizens took turns taking shots at his economic strategy. the president repeatedly defended his policies while fielding pointed questions from americans who fear the worst from the economy. nbc's steve handelsman has more. >> quite frankly, i'm exhausted. i'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration. >> reporter: self-described obama supporters laid into him live on cnbc's town hall. people like velma hart. >> that i voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. i'm one of those people, and i'm waiting, sir. i'm waiting. i don't feel it yet. >> reporter: the same from an out-of-work law school graduate. >> i really want to know, is the american dream dead for me? >> absolutely not. we're moving i

i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin this morning with the battle over taxes. senate republicans vow to block president bush's plan to cut middle class taxes yesterday unless bush era reductions for the wealthy are also preserved. this economic debate has been heating up for months now and on this final primary day before november's midterm elections, it could reach a boiling point. nbc's tracie potts joins us now from capitol hill. good morning. >> good morn pentagon. it's going to be a big day, a big week and a big season headed into the elections as congress tries to figure out whether or not to extend these bush tax cuts that are expiring at the end of the year. now, coming out of the weekend republican leader john boehner who had been critical of the president's plan signaled that he might support it in order to get something done before these tax cuts expire. but all hopes of a compromise were dashed when his party came out very strongly yesterday and said that these tax

i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning. >>> an update on that deadly helicopter crash in afghanistan. u.s. officials tell nbc news nine american service members were killed in that crash. u.s. officials say there was no sign of hostile fire, and deny claims that the taliban had shot down the aircraft. >>> former president jimmy carter is trying to clarify comments he made to nbc's brian williams that his post-presidential work has been "superior to that of his successor." after his comments aired last night, carter released a statement saying that he was referring to opportunities from his organization, the carter center. >>> a washington state woman who splashed acid on her face and claimed she was attacked is now facing charges. charged filed yesterday relate to nearly $28,000 in donations that were collected to help pay for the woman's treatment after the incident. >>> an english woman who sparked international outrage after she was seen dumping a cat into a trash bin has

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with turning the page. president obama addressed the nation from the oval office last night, putting an official end to the united states combat role in iraq. the president thanked americans for paying a, quote, huge price during the seven-year war saying it's time to move forward without closing the book on the future of iraq. nbc's tracie potts is in washington with more. tracy, good morning >> reporter: lynn, good morning. with the military operations in iraq behind us, president obama said last night that looking forward, the next big mission is right here at home. >> the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> reporter: with combat troops now out of iraq, president obama announced a new mission. >> our most urgent task is to restore our economy and put the millions of americans who lost their jobs back to work. >> reporter: he blamed massive deficits on financing nearly a decade of war with borrowed money. his focus now, jobs and afghanistan. he promised the pullout there will begin next summer.

i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today." just your first stop of the day, today, on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning. >>> after months of debate, the senate passed a bill for small businesses creating a $30 billion government fund. it passed 61-28 wi38 with the hf two republicans to cross the aisle giving president obama an election year victory. the legislation goes to the house where it's expected to quickly pass and head to the president's desk for signing. >>> this morning, "usa today" reports a so-called super bug, resistant to nearly every modern antibiotic, is spreading across the country and becoming an international problem. the bacteria, which has been reported by hospitals in more than 20 states, typically strikes the critically ill and so far has been fatal in 30% to 60% of the cases. >>> the mother of missing teenager natalee holloway reportedly sneaked into a peruvian prison where prime suspect joran van der sloot is being held and confronted him about her daughter. she spoke to van der sloot for five minutes but did not get any answers

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with getting down to business. primaries are over. midterm elections are just weeks away. and now president obama is slamming republicans for holding up his tax plan to prop up small businesses and the middle class. nbc's tracie potts joins us live now from capitol hill. good morning. >> good morning. republicans are digging in, not all of his own party members are on board. and all of this less than two months before a key election. how to win a tax fight and an election. first, solidify the base. >> don't forget who is standing with you and who is standing against you. >> reporter: then put pressure on your opponents. >> we simply don't have time any more to play games. >> reporter: extending tax cuts to americans earning over $250,000 has become the lightning rod for a nasty partisan fight heading into november. more than two dozen democrats now disagree with president obama. republicans aren't wavering. >> republicans are united. no tax increases on nobody. >> repor

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with storm surge. the carolina coast is riding out the effects of hurricane earl this morning while folks in the northeast are on the watch for hurricane and tropical storm-force winds. early, a category two storm, is threatening to whip up dangerous waves and threatening rip tides all along the east coast all throughout the day. kristin dahlgren is in north carolina outer banks with the latest. kristen, good morning. >>> good morning, lynn. things have really been picking up along the outer banks. take a look. can you see the wind and rain continuing to wsh apounding. rain was sideways as mountains of surf piled up and took their chances riding out the storm could only hope they made the right decision. while the center of earl has so far stayed offshore, the glancing blow was enough to send many packing earlier in the day. cars and roads filled with hundreds threading off the thin strip of land off carolina's coast. as officials ordered mandatory evacuations for all visitors. >> they have asked us to

i'm lynn berry. >>> today we begin with the battle over taxes. senate republicans vowed to block president obama's plan to cut middle class taxes yesterday unless bush era reductions for the wealthy are also preserved. this economic debate has been heating up for months now. and on this final primary day before november's midterm elections, it could reach a boiling point. nbc's tracie potts joins us live now from capitol hill. good morning. >> reporter: it is clear the battle lines are drawn despite what we saw yesterday may have been a hint of compromise between republicans and the democratic party. republican john boehner hinting he might support president obama's plan to extend tax cuts only forethose who make up to $250,000. not for people who make more than that. but the republican party, other member, came back and made it very clear that they want these bush tax cuts extended for everyone, including the so-called wealthy, because they say those are the job creators in our society. jobs that ri

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with dwindling support. this morning a fresh report card is out on washington. for the white house the numbers are not looking good. with just weeks to go before the midterm elections. in a new nbc news "wall street journal" poll, almost half of americans now disapprove of president obama and six out of ten think the company is headed in the wrong direction. meanwhile democrats in congress have some hurdles to overcome as well. right now among likely voters, almost half prefer republicans. those new numbers come just as president obama unveiled his plan yesterday to use the infrastructure to put americans on track and back to work building rail ways and roads. they wasted no time blasting the proposal as the gop blamed the president for putting the country in reverse. tracie potts joins us from washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the poll numbers show we're not satisfied with the economy, not satisfied with the president who is trying to fix it. preside

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with laboring on labor day. as much of the nation takes the day off to celebrate this labor day, president obama will be working instead, talking up his plan to help put unemployed americans back to work. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more. tracy, good morning. >> lynn, good morning. traditionally labor day has been the day we celebrate american workers of the problem is, a lot of them, millions of them, are not working. president obama will deliver an increasingly difficult message urging them to hang on. this afternoon president obama spends labor day with union leaders in milwaukee. union leaders say what has traditionally been a day of celebration has become a day of frustration for many. >> 11 million people out of work, i have less to be thankful for than those on wall street doing quite well. >> reporter: unemployment creeped up to 9.6%. jobs are being created but not nearly fast enough to ploy the millions left jobless in this recession. today and in cleveland on wednesday, the preside

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with getting personal. president obama will dig deep during his speech in cleveland today where according to administration officials he'll draw on his own personal background to convince voters that he knows what it's like to struggle through tough times. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on how the president plans to rescue the economy. tracie, good morning. >> lynn, good morning. today the president will deliver that speech in a state where one of his harshest critics is from, republican leader john boehner, and from a region that's been hit hard by unemployment. the president's expected to urge congress to let the bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy, individuals earning over $200,000 and couples over the $250,000. plus, he wants to spend $50 billion on transportation projects and create $200 billion in business tax breaks, allowing small businesses to write off capital investments next year, giving them more cash to hire new workers. >> we'r

i'm lynn berry. here are some of the top stories making news this morning. >>> israeli prime minister benjamin netyanhu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas are still divided on the latest issues after ending their recent round of peace talks in jerusalem yesterday. the leaders met with secretary of state hillary clinton for two hours and agreed to continue negotiations, but there was no word on when they would meet again. >>> former ebay ceo meg whitman, the republican candidate for governor of california, now holds the record for personal spending on an election. earlier this week, she added another $15 million of her own money to her war chest, brining her own total campaign donations to a staggering $119 million. >>> the nbc family is mourning the loss of edwin newman, a celebrated anchor, commentator, correspondent and host for the network for over 30 years. newman's family says the 91-year-old died of pneumonia in england last month. they delayed the announcement to spend time privately grie

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with on the defensive. in a town hall held by cnbc in the nation's capital, president obama held his ground while frustrated citizens took turns taking shots at his economic strategy. the president repeatedly defended his policies while fielding questions. some of the americans who fear the worse from the economy. steve handlesman has more. >> quite frankly, i'm exhausted. i'm exhausted in defending you, defending your administration. >> reporter: people like zelm may hart -- >> i voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. i'm one of those people and i'm waiting, sir. i don't feel it yet. >> reporter: the same from an out of work law school graduate. >> i really want to know. is the american dream dead forever me? >> absolutely not. we're moving in the right direction. >> reporter: there's more proof of that. economists calculated our recession ended in june 2009, recovery began 14 months ago. but not for millions, t

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with burning heat. a problematic pastor in florida is defying the nation's highest ranking authorities, saying he will burn copies of the koran on september 11th. with the anniversary of the infamous terror attacks just days away, the church leader's planned protest against what he calls the evil of islam has become a lightning-rod topic worldwide. nbc's leanne gregg has more. >> reporter: outrageous, disgraceful, but constitutionally legal. those are some descriptions of pastor terry jones' plans to pile up korans, the muslim holy book, and burn them in commemoration of september 11th. despite pleas, the pastor of a small church in gainesville, florida, refuses to call it off. >> we are not convinced that backing down is the right thing. >> reporter: jones says his actions are from a message from god. in jakarta, indonesia, protesters call it a symbol of hate, asking the u.s. government to step in and for muslims to stay calm. military, political, and religious lea

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with finally nearing the end. after five long months, crews in the gulf of mexico have taken a major step toward permanently plugging up the blownout well behind the worst offshore oil spill in u.s. history. for more on that, we go to kristin dahlgren, live in louisiana with more. good morning. >> good morning to you, lynn. day 150 and that relief well that they started drilling shortly after this all started has finally intersected with the mccondo well some 2 1/2 miles below the floor of the gulf. admiral thad allen said that the two wells were connected and that the next step was to pump mud and cement down into that well to permanently seal it off. obviously, great news for people in this area, but really just one step in their recovery. oil continues to wash ashore. and this week, thousands of dead fish. take a look at these pictures. looks almost like a graph grave there. scientists say it was caused by lack of oxygen and it's not uncommon here, but people are as

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with the battle over taxes. senate republicans vowed to block president obama's plan to cut middle class taxes yterday unless bush era reductions for the wealthy are also preserd. this economic debate has been heating up for months now. and on this final primary day before nember's midterm electrics, it could reach a boiling point. tracy potts joins us live now from council. good morning, acy. big day. >> it's going to be a big week and a big season headed into these elections as congress figures out whether or not to extend these bush taxuts that are expiring at the end of the year. coming out of the weekend, republican leader john boehner who had been very critical of the president's plan signaled that he might support it order to get something done before these tax cuts expires. but all hopes of a compromise were dashed when his pay came out strongly yesterday and said that these tax cuts must be preserved for everyone, the poor, the mile class and, yes, the wealthy, those who make over $250,000. his party is

i'm lynn berry. those stories and more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> we begin with finally nearing the end. after five long months, crews in the gulf of mexico have taken a major step toward permanently plugging the blownout well. behind the worst oil spill in u.s. history. and for more on that, we go to nbc's kristen dahlgren in venice, louisiana. good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, lynn. day 150 and that relief well they started drilling shortly after this all started has finally intersected with the well some 2 1/2 miles beneath the floor of the gulf. in a statement late last night, the incident commander said the two wells were now connected and that the next step is to pump mud and cement down into that well to permanently seal it off. obviously, good news for people in this area. really just one step in their recovery. oil here continues to wash ashore. this week, evidence of a massive fish kill here. thousands of dead fish. take a look at these pictures. almost l

captions paid for by nbc-universalelevision >>> hello and gd morning, i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with mission finally accomplished. bp says a permanent al is now in place on its blown-out well at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. however, killing the catastrophic well off is a bittereet victory for gulf coast residents, who fear they'll be battling the effects of the nation's worst environmental disaster for years to come. nbc's jay greg has our report. >> reporter: it began april 20th with a massive fireball and deadly flames cutting through the nigh air. as the deepwater horizon rig exploded, then collapsed, 11 lives were lost. and oil began to seep into the gulf, the start of the worst spill in u.s. history. now, 154 days later, government scientists say the final seal, 74 barrels of cement, is holding tight, and that the well will never leak again. president obama acknowledged the work that's beenone and perhaps the more difficult job at lies ahead, in a written statement which says, in part, we will continue to work closely with the people of the gulf to r

nobody likes a cry berry. i mean, a cry baby. check out next week's matchups on the "jimmy kimmel live" youtube page. i'm jimmy kimmel. >> i'm cousin sal. >> bang! >> cry berries. >> dicky: to follow the action all season long, go to the "jimmy kimmel live" youtube channel and click on fantasy league for scores, videos and more. "jimmy kimmel live," back in two minutes with joanna garcia, music from brandon flowers and kathy griffin. takes a special kinda loco to pass...initiation. where the sun's so hot it rains fire. and there's no calling for help -- only reception your phone's gettin' is an angry look. just when you can't take any more... you gotta eat the flame. [ male announcer ] subway has turned up the heat! introducing subway fiery footlong subs. the irresistibly hot new turkey jalapeño melt and the bold-acious buffalo chicken, eat bold! [ biker ] subway fiery footlong subs. ride hard. eat fresh. [ biker ] subway fiery footlong subs. ♪ come on, people, now ♪ smile on your brother , ♪ everybody get together ♪ try

i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with chaos in california. the explosion of a natural gas pipeline in a san francisco suburb last night triggered a massive fire leaving one person dead and 53 homes destroyed. that blaze continues to burn this morning. nbc bay area news has more. >> reporter: a san bruno neighborhood erupts in flames in a matter of seconds create a confusing and dangerous scene. >> i had to go look for my 80-year-old father in the house. they said he's gone. they said he's not there. >> reporter: families sitting down for dinner say it shook them to the core. >> a huge fire and smoke everywhere. we just ran for our life. >> reporter: eight months pregnant, betty ran her three kids and ran to safety. >> we just ran. we didn't have any shoes. the kids were -- we had to borrow this from our neighbor. >> reporter: neighbors towed kids and pets. a relentless wall of flames. retired firefighter said he never felt such a hot fire. by the time he reacted his car was already on fire. >> i ha

i'm lynn berry. today we begin with a tea party takeover. across the country, the votes are in from atring of primary races, priding a dmrims of what's to come in the midterm elections. and in a surprise twist last night the gop establishment was oe again upended by the tea party. dan shinaman reports. >> reporter: a stunning victry in delaware. christine o'donnell defeating moderate republican mike castle, who uil recently had been considered a shoo-in. >> we're in this to win. and we're in this to win big. >> reporter: o'donnell, a media consultant, will run for the senate seat held for 36 yrs by vice president joe biden. castle, who had run positive campaigns for decade went negative saying o'donnell can't we know in november. >> the last several weeks have been spirited, shall we say. and the voters in the republican primary have spoken and i respect that decision. >> reporter: and in new york's gubernatorial race, another upset witharl paladino defeating rick lazio. >> all andrew offers us is startus cuomo. >> thank you, thank you, than

the sidewalk on berry, from property line to property line, street trees, and street lights. the director of public works issued a notice determining that the project was completed and ready for acceptance and intended use. the department of planning has determined that it met the terms of the general plan, in the redevelopment agency determines the acceptance of the appurtenance and that they are consistent with the redevelopment plan. if you have any questions, i will be happy to answer. chair maxwell: thank you. any public comment on this item? seeing none, this item is closed. colleagues, without objection. item number two. clerk somera: a construction agreement for 1150 ocean avenue, the construction of 26 inclusionary units. >> this is attached to an agreement between 1150 and the city. it is basically an affordable housing program. this was amended in is in the process of being amended, and it should be before you in a couple of weeks. if you remember a case that came down last fall, essentially, there was a state law that mandates that the city cannot set rental rates

when they are wondering through the rasp berry fields. >> these are kids living in urban areas. >> these are 7th, 8th, and 9th graders with the chickens. that is the important piece, there. >> right there devoted to the viewing of children. right there in the middle of every school day lies time and energy devoted to the feeding of children. to a joyous education, a way of caring for our health, environment, and community. >> this is the bungalow that we transformed. this is the beautiful little moment. this is about socialization that happens in the circumstances of the kitchen. we have the piano there, after they finish one of the kids plays while they are cleaning up. that is the ultimate testimony to the congenialties that have inspired by eating together. can you imagine growing something like that? you feel like you have magic, to grow a sun flower that looks that beautiful. and shall i ask you a few questions? >> no. that is my day job. [laughter]. >> 40 years ago, back way then, kennedy, his condition on physical condition. decided we were not physically fit for the new frontier.

good time doing this thing because they were in their boots in the grass and picking a couple of ras berries on the way. hands on education is a way to really make an impression and have the education. so they are doing that. they are counting snails. >> counting snails. >> you know, there are so many ways. how many buckets of water does it take to water the bed? it is just very, um -- exciting, kind of process that gets them engaged in the math, in the class. you do the same in the kitchen. you are studying geography, in india, finding where the spices come from. pounding them and sprinkling them. >> i can imagine the history and social studies. >> you could be having a language class, it is all in spanish and making the food. it is an english class. >> they are not just cultivating the food, planting the produce, they are actually in a kitchen. >> are there such things as kitchens? >> we took over one of the bungalows. we asked an artist to paint it. we recycled and made cabinents. i made it a place where they like to do their homework there. they like to be in the room. they like the smel

i'm lynn berry and this is first look oig. way too early with willie geist starts right now. >>> yes, we will! it is those same so-called experts who said we had no chance of winning the primary, it will be hard work, but we can win. and if those same people who fought against me work just as hard for me, we will win. >> yes, we can. tea party candidate christine o'donnell pulls the upset in dela