that success, however, didn't do much for the mainstream tech sector as goldman sachs issued a sell recommendation on intel and advised caution for the entire semiconductor sector. >>> meanwhile, concerns about the economy weighed on the dow. fresh data showed a slump in sales of previously owned homes. weak regional manufacturing and a surprisingly slow forecast for future economic activity. oil prices fell after the international oil agency countered opec's stance that oil supplies are just fine, saying there is a, quote, urgent need to ramp up production to prevent further damage to the global economy. after the bell, late, barnes & noble shares soared after liberty media's $1 billion buyout offer. in a pr deal critics call the definition of selling out, starbucks and lady gaga are teaming up to cash in on copies of the pop star's new album. and you can stop worrying. mcdonald's execs assured shareholders yesterday despite calls from children's health advocates to retire ronald mcdonald, the red-haired mascot is here to stay. he is not going anywhere. >>> the bruins beat the bolts, the red sox

goldman sachs was lower after its shares were downgraded due to a growing chorus arguing charges should be brought against the bank for defrauding investors. cisco sank after reporting 18% slide in earnings, lower profit forecast and job cut plans. after the bell, nordstrom dropped after cutting its full year earnings outlook. elsewhere, facebook admitted a claim first reported by the daily beast that the social network hired a prominent public relations firm drawing immediate attention to privacy practices at rival google. facebook insisted its involvement remain a secret. >>> and finally, the prague zoo is making loads of money off elephant dung. gardeners using it as a fertilizer are scooping it up for about $2 a pound. goes well with breakfast, doesn't it? >>> coming up, an injury forces tiger to sit. the bulls ran past the hawks and beltran belts three. plus, the san jose sharks take a game seven stanley cup thriller. >>> in weather, it's almost the favorite time for the forecast, your weekend forecast. that's coming up. you're watching "early today." >>> good morning. if you're ju

also darkening the mood, goldman sachs lowered its year-end expectations for the s&p 500 by more than 3%. gloomy data also didn't help. weekly unemployment unexpectedly rose. gross domestic product rose, but below expectations due to unexpectedly weak consumer spending. the bleak news drew investors into bonds, sending the treasury yield to its lowest level this year. later, though, stocks managed to come back, pushed by strong results by data storage firm netapp. microsoft dropped 2% after a major hedge fund manager called for the company's ceo to resign. tiffany zoomed almost 9% on a strong report and outlook. the day's flag was computer sciences. shares fell 15% after disappointing results and an announcement it's bp being investigated by the securities & exchange commission. those that think it was left overvalued last week may see proof today when stock options start trading. finally, facebook's ceo, mark zuckerberg, has vowed to eat meat only from animals he kills himself. after slaughter, zuckerberg sends off the meat for processing. then he and his girlfriend cook it. if he ea

new york's attorney general has been quietly requesting information from bank of america, goldman sachs and morgan stanley in what appears to be a new investigation into the bank's lending practices leading up to the country's mortgage related meltdown. >>> just hours after a federal appeals court turned them down, cameron and tyler winklevoss say they'll let the supreme court make the final decision whether to reopen their case alleging facebook founder mark zuckerberg stole their idea for the social networking site. and speaking of facebook, an israeli couple has reportedly named their newborn baby book like. and appropriately dozens of thumbs up signs appeared on the proud papa's page where he announced the arrival of baby like. poor kid. >>> well, one of the worst pitching performances ever. and some college kids find a creative way to pass the time during a rain delay. >>> plus, the brewers' carlos gomes says not so fast with a home run robbing catch in los angeles. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. >>> in weather, we're stormy on both coasts, but at least we'

sachs and mckenzie. he could face what amounts to life in prison. his lawyer said today he will appeal. >>> when we come back here tonight, more from the big mississippi flood and what it's doing to those who make their living on that river. >>> and later, helping kids master a skill they really need. it's a job that calls, really, for a pirate. >>> big light show on the ground in ft. worth last night, after a lightning storm struck, that set off a chain reaction of transformers and substations. the blue arc light danced across the skyline, interrupted by that orange, when something caught fire on the ground. it was scary and costly while it lasted. it left thousands of people in the ft. worth area without power. >>> we want to go back now to the flooding along the mississippi and the toll this crisis is taking on the people who support their families by moving commerce up and down that waterway, the most vital in the united states. nbc's thanh truong reports tonight from historic vicksburg, mississippi.

jpmorgan chase and goldman sachs have placed their energy bets for the summer, they are predicting prices to bounce back up and then reach $5 a gallon. now, some analysts disagree with the forecast and say prices will stay even or drop further. experts say every 50-cent jump in the cost of gas takes $70 billion out of the u.s. economy over the course of a year. >>> while the price at the pump is also hurting us, getting the meat and potatoes to the store from the farm. home cooks got less burger for their buck with the price of ground beef up 12%. even the lettuce that goes on that patty up 28%. and don't even bother slicing up a tomato. they cost 86% than they did last year. the total cost of a picnic for 12 this year? $199. 45 bucks more than last year. and that's not counting the beverages. >>> coming up, the economy has forced many people to become do it yourselfers. sadly, one of the many things they end up doing is injuring themselves. see how to avoid the e.r. when you diy. >>> plus four people killed in two cities. new information about the deadly violence that hit the east bay an