the california fire that's about to burn a hole in millions of wallets. this was the scene monday at chevron's richmond, california oil refinery. a huge toxic blaze partially shutting down production at one of the region's biggest gas suppliers. not a good time for that to happen, it's expected to send the pump prices skyrocketing on the west coast and beyond. ed levandera is live in dallas, texas. it's not just about gas prices, it's about people and health concerns in that area, as well, right? >> reporter: there's no question, people there who have been up close with the refinery fire that started on monday, and is still not quite back up to full production. have been dealing with the effects of that. but if you're like me, you've noticed over the last few weeks already, as you pull into the gas station, hey, something is not quite right. but that's because the national average of gasoline prices has risen to $3.63 a gallon, up almost 30 cents in the last five weeks. so quite a jump here that we've seen. and several analysts that we've been talking to say they expect that to continue to climb. so the question is, at what point will it stop. and what's causing all of this. of course that's a very complicated matter when it comes to issues of gas prices. a lot of factors in this. what we've seen over the last few weeks is a series of disruptions at refineries, not only in california, but across the country from the midwest to oklahoma. but obviously most significantly this week is the massive fire in richmond, california there in the san francisco bay area. which is some analysts suggesting that could bring gas prices there into california and west coast area, up to $4 a gallon, that's obviously a big mark. in the short-term, the residents near the refinery have been telling us, talking about how miserable the whole experience has been. >> you're putting this poison out here, killing us. >> do i have to look forward to having cancer? does my grandchild have to look forward to having cancer? >> my people ain't for sale. these nickels and dimes that you pay us around here are no good for none of them. >> zoraida, the question is at what point will these gas prices start kind of leveling off and going back down. some analysts suggest as we head into the fall, that we should start seeing the gas prices kind of leveling off or dropping back down. but in the short term, expect more of the same as the gas prices continue to tick higher and higher. zoraida? >> thank you very much. a major shake-up at the nation's largest breast cancer foundation this morning, susan g. komen for the cure. the president liz thompson and founder, nancy brinker, stepping down from their post. it's being seen by many as just more fallout from komen's decision earlier this year to briefly suspend funding for planned parenthood. and the next hour of "early start," we'll talk about the politics behind the komen shake-up with laura bassett. the political reporter from "huffington post." the mindset of the man behind the aurora, colorado theater killings. james holmes is expected back in court this morning. public defense lawyers wand investigators to hand over the packet of documents that he sent to his psychiatrist. the package was seized by authorities under a search warrant last week. the defense says it's privileged doctor/patient communication. holmes is charged with killing 12 people and injuring 58 others at a midnight screening of "the dark knight rises." you hear screaming, as military fighter jets, choppers and tanks unleashed on a virtually devastated parts of aleppo, that was once syria's most populated city. the syrian government and the opposition offering different accounts of who controls a key neighborhood. a syrian opposition network says at least 167 people were killed across the country yesterday alone. the first day in the murder trial for china's so-called jackie kennedy has adjourned just a few hours ago. gui kailai, wife of a communist official is accused of poisoning a british businessman, in an attempt to save her son, who experts say was caught up in a money dispute. the heat is definitely on this summer, we certainly felt it, i'm not forward to my air conditioning bill. this july, folks, hottest on record. meteorologist alexandra steele is in tlaatlanta. i was down there, and it was 106 degrees. we've all felt it, right? these are historic highs. >> absolutely. and now just coming down off the presses last night, officially, guys, july, hottest month for the entire u.s. since 1895, even surpasng the july of those famous dust bowl years of 1936. so it certainly felt hot with the temperatures in the 100s, now for the record books, it surely has been. top ten warmest julys, we had it in 32 states. and the last 12 months have been the hottest on record. so as an aggregate as the country, individual states have had the warmest and the last 12 months have been the warmest. so what's the outlook, is the heat continuing? you've got it. here's the forecast. the computer model projection through october, temperatures remain above average. and part and parcel to the heat, and the drought, and dry conditions, you can see for portion of the country as well. yesterday at this time we were talking about ernesto making landfall as a hurricane. you can see where it is now. tropical storm once again, winds back up to 70 miles per hour. expected to make its second landfall, potentially as a hurricane, but there's just not a lot of time, limited time over the water. for really any more intensification. our attention turns from ernesto to potentially gordon. tropical outlook in the atlantic. 70% chance for this to become our next tropical cyclone. if so, it will be gordon and all our eyes and attention will focus to gordon. that being said, we'll have to watch it and see what happens today. >> absolutely. thanks so much. the martian crater where nasa's "curiosity" rover landed looks a lot like earth. a california scientist compares some early pictures of that crater to the mojave desert. both are said to have looming mountains and a lingering haze. the "curiosity" successfully and very memorably touched down on mars sunday night. >> that's my favorite video of the week. >> it's adorable. they're so thrilled. a perfect execution there. the end of an olympic era, a dynamic duo cap off their career and put team usa on the top. we bring you live to london, next. ♪ the goose drank wine ♪ the monkey chew tobacco on the streetcar line ♪ ♪ ♪ clap, pat, clap your hand ♪ pat it on your partner's hand ♪ ♪ right hand ♪ clap, pat, clap your hand ♪ cross it with your left arm ♪ pat your partner's left palm ♪ clap, pat, clap your hand, pat your partner's right palm ♪ [ male announcer ] it's back. the volkswagen beetle. that's the power of german engineering. is that your phone bill? 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[ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? or double miles on every purchase, every day! well hello, welcome to hotels.com. summer road trip, huh? uhuh yep uch let's find you a room. at hotels.com, you'll always find the perfect hotel. because we only do hotels. wow. i like that. nice no. laugh... awe uch ooh, yeah hmm nice huh book it! oh boy call me... this summer, we're finding you the perfect place - plus giving you up to $100 at hotels.com welcome back to "early start," it is 11 minutes past the hour, i'm poppy harlow. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it's just another historic day at the beach, did you watch? the u.s. now on top in total medals at the olympics, thanks in part to that history-making beach volleyball team. three-time champs, misty mae-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings. it wasn't just an all-usa volleyball final. it was a final match for these two gals as a team as well. i actually watched this one because i wanted to watch history in the making, i think everybody expected them to win. >> it was great occasion, wasn't it? misty mae-treanor signed off saying now it's time for her to be a wife and mom after the third olympic gold medal with kerri walsh as you said, people here talking about a three-peat on horse guard's parade, definitely one of the most stunning venues and prince harry was there watching and david beckham was there watching. now it's very much a case of handing over the baton to another american pair, jennifer kesy and april ross, the world champions from 2009. so the end of an era, but possibly the start of another one for usa beach volleyball. >> wouldn't that be wonderful, amanda, we would love for that to happen. so it was also golden in track and field, tell us about that? >> an incredible three gold medals in the 30 minutes. not exactly bad going. allison felix kicked it all off in the women's 200 meters, she held off a really strong field and of course she got two silver medals in this event in the last two olympics. but then went on to claim gold and her smile, mega, megawatt smile lit up the olympic stadium. carmelita jeter took bronze in that one. and ares merit decided to get in on the act. he was treating the final as if it was a practice run. he did pretty well. he went on to take gold. and in a personal best time as well. and then britney reece stepped up for the long jump. she only recorded two jumps, enough to give her the gold medal as well. we haven't had any of those medal ceremonies yet. but it will be the star-spangled banner all the way when those get handed out. >> go team usa. coming up today, the potential for drama is very high as the u.s. women's soccer team takes on japan. >> yeah. this one is massively anticipated, isn't it. it's expected to be the biggest crowd ever for a women's olympic football match at wembley stadium. it's usa against japan. a repeat of the world cup final from last year, that japan won in frankfurt on penalties, very interesting, the media call yesterday, the players lined up, one from the usa, one from japan, all arm in arm, all looked incredibly happy and friendly. and then abby wambach said that's not how it is going to be tomorrow. i all about revenge for last year. usa looking for their third gold medal in four olympic games. >> love all the action. thank you so much for bringing it to us, amanda davies, live in london. in addition to the women's soccer final between the u.s. and japan, the men's 200 meter final is on tap today, also, women's platform diving. i love diving and also men's beach volleyball, the final is ahead. 15 minutes past the hour. let's get you up to date on the morning's top story. gas prices may surge above $4 a gallon on the west coast as well as rise across the nation because of a fire at chevron's richmond, california refinery. those are the pictures. the plant is partially shut down and it's one of the region's biggest suppliers. we'll have a live report for you. and we now know the final shot fired by the sikh temple gunman, wade page, was into his own head. the fbi saying surveillance video confirms that page committed suicide after being wounded in the stomach by a hero police officer on sunday. listen to this, a delaware pediatrician and his wife arrested for allegedly waterboarding their 11-year-old daughter. dr. melvin morris, a noted researcher in near-death experiences and his wife, paul ian, face reckless endangerment charges. the couple's daughter telling police her father held her face under a faucet at least four times in the last two years to punish her while her mother stood by and watched. and country singer randy travis out on bail after troopers in northern texas allegedly found him lying naked on a remote road, apparently smelling of alcohol following his car careening off a highway and was charged with d.u.i. and felony retaliation, for threatening troopers. back in february he pleaded no contest following public intoxication. so sick american being evacuated fromntarctica. the team landed on an icy runway during a narrow window of twilight in an arctica's dark window. the patient was picked up from mcmurdo research station, temperature 13 degrees below zero fahrenheit. the person is said to be in stable condition. it is 17 minutes past 5:00 in the morning. we're on the east coast. we're getting an early read on local news making headlines. it is enough to shock sin city. vegas police have been flooded with calls about people very disturbed by that image. so here's what you're seeing. this comes out of the las vegas review journal. that's a billboard, and that is man kin hanging from the billboard. but drivers on the road thought those were real people. i would probably crash and then call 911. i want to tell you one of the billboards said, dying for work, another one said hope you're happy, wall street. police saying this is vandalism, not ads. police are investigating it. it's interesting, in this article they talked to a representative from occupy las vegas, occupy said they're in no way responsible for this. but they support it. saying it's not surprising that radical consciousness will find its expression through various forms of art. >> dangerous and in poor taste. 18 minutes past the hour. a michigan judge thrown out of office after being found guilty of misconduct, may wind up back on the bench. i do not get this story. this is from the "detroit free press." so ousted district court judge, sylvia james won the most votes in a primary election. she'll now be allowed to run for the seat she was thrown out of in the general election. inkster, 30 minutes outside of detroit. she joined the court in 1988 she was removed after being found guilty of misconduct. she was the top vote-get anywhere the tuesday primary. she will run in the november general election. this, you know, just a head-scratcher. they found out that she misused court funds intended for crime victims and used the money to pay court employees instead. also accused of nepotism. she lied during the investigation and hearing and yet she's running again and she could potentially win. >> she has her supporters. >> a lot of supporters. so tt's who is voting for her. kind of crazy. >> we'll see what happens in the general election. for an expanded look at all the top stories, head to our blog, cnn/early start. pay for your coffee withoutor taking your hands out of your pocket. more on the new innovation at starbucks. the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. with the original sugar-like taste you 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23% july worldwide. according to new data out from the u.n. this morning. the u.n. warns that prices could increase further this year. certainly if the drought doesn't ease up. talking about mobile phones, google's android taking a big bite out of apple's market share. android phones accounted for 68% of the global smartphone market last quarter. this according to research firm idc. a lot of folks are holding out, waiting for the iphone 5 that may come out in september it could be part of what we're seeing play out. and the blackberry, do you have one of those? shipments sharply down in the quarter only about 5% of the market share is blackberry now. they're easier to text on, we'll talk about that later. also, starbucks teaming up with a mobile payment company called square. the company created by the co-founder of twitter. square will begin processing all of starbucks credit card payments and here's the goal of the partnership, folks. when you walk into a starbucks store, your photo and your name will pop up on the screen at the register. they'll read the data from your phone. and then when you're ready to pay, you give them your name, they'll match your face to the photo on the register, that's all, you won't need to take out your phone or your credit card or anything to pay. they're developing that technology now, so if it works, you'll see it in stores, no date yet on when it will happen. interesting, too, zoraida, starbucks invested $25 million in this company so they're getting the tech space, too. >> the little square device, do you have to have it on your phone in order for it to work? >> they have it, they're installing it. >> very cool. people in detroit office building never knew it, but they had been working right next to a bomb in the office for weeks. wait until you hear how it got there, that is coming up. and if you're leaving the house right now, you can watch us any time on your desktop, mobile phone, go to cnn.com/tv. and this is what inspires us to cre