breaking overnight, iran's state media reporting the country's president has died in a helicopter crash, along with the foreign minister, after a day-long effort by rescuers to reach the crash site. we have a live report with the latest. back here at home, president

biden calling for a ceasefire in gaza at his commencement speech at morehouse college in atlanta. plus, his message to the graduates of the historically black college. rapper sean "diddy" combs apologizing after horrific videos surfaced of him apparently beating his ex-girlfriend. her lawyer is reacting this morning. as the summer travel season is just starting to heat up, airbnb's ceo says he is trying to cool cost. he is one-on-one with our hallie jackson. and if you're looking for a unique travel experience, look no farther than the garden state. how six flags is offering visitors a gaslamping trip to a san francisco far rich. it's monday, may 20th. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning. grad you're reqwith me. i'm frances rivera. breaking overnight, the president of iran, ebrahim raisi, has died in a helicopter crash in the northwest part of the country. the stunning development confirmed by state media after a day of uncertainty.

rescue crews have reached the site in east azerbaijan province in iran, confirming the death of everyone on board, including the islamic republic's powerful foreign minister. let's turn now to claudio lavanga. claudio, good morning. what else do we know? >> good morning, frances. according to state media in iran, what we know is on sunday, the president of iran, ebrahim raisi was on board of a helicopter flying back to tehran after he inaugurated a new dam on the border between iran and azerbaijan with the president of azerbaijan. on the way back on that flight something happened and state media started reporting later on sunday that it was forced, this helicopter, to do a crash or hard landing in an isolated forested area not too far from the border. that sparked of course a massive search-and-rescue operation where state media said at least 40 rescue teams were involved, eight ambulances with the help

of drones and search dog, but of course this search-and-rescue operation was hampered by the very bad weather and very heavy fog that we actually saw in some of the videos shot by these rescuers that forced them to take a much longer time to identify the crash site. also because it was in this forested area. now earlier this morning, we heard from state media that the crash site was isolated, and there was no sign of life. and later on, a little later on, anchors from state media in iran wearing black for mourning announced officially that raisi had died. all the people who were on that flight died. one is the foreign minister of iran. the other is the governor of east azerbaijan, as well as the bodyguards and security detail and pilot of that helicopter. what happens now? well, according to iranian law, the vice president of iran takes -- steps in. then in the next 50 days, there will be new presidential

elections. if they are anywhere similar to what happened in 2021, the last election where raisi was elected, well, probably there would be a very low turnout again because moderate candidates back then were prevented from running. so it's likely that the government will just replace them, replace the president with another hard-line they're will often some continuity. but the important thing is not only iran has lost a president, he has also lost a front-runner as he was believed to be the top job in iran, which is that of the ayatollah, the supreme leader. raisi was considered a front-runner for thekhamenei. now it sparks speculation or who that next candidate will be. frances? >> claudio lavanga for us. claudio, thank you. let's turn now to the race forwhite house. president biden delivered the commencement address at morehouse college in atlanta. morehouse is a historically black college, and the president made this promise to the graduates.

>> that's my commitment to you, to show you democracy, democracy, democracy. is still the way. the black man killed on the street we bear witness. to me that means we call out the poison of white supremacy throughout systemic racism. >> after president biden campaigned in detroit, michigan where he spoke at a dinner for naacp. meanwhile, donald trump was in dallas, texas where he accepted the endorsement of the nra. the trump campaign also promoted they have the backing of many gun leaders. donald trump will be back inside a new york courtroom in just a few hours. cross-examination will continue of donald trump's former fixer michael cohen. the prosecution is expected to wrap up its case soon, and it's not clear if the defense will call any witnesses for donald trump will take the stand himself. sean combs, also known as diddy is speaking out after a

video emerged of him over the weekend beating his girlfriend back in 2016. in an apology posted to social media, the hip-hop mogul pointedly did not ask for forgiveness in light of the vicious assault revealed on surveillance footage. here is adrienne broaddus. >> i'm so sorry. i make no excuses. >> shows sean combs, kicking, grabbing and throwing objects at his former girlfriend, cassie ventura. the video believed to show an assault on ventura was cap khmerred in an l.a. hotel in 2016. previously, diddy publicly denied all the allegations against him, but now -- >> i was disgusted then when i did it. i'm disgusted now and i went and sought out professional help. >> reporter: ventura filed a lawsuit against combs in november. stating that around march of 2016 at a former

intercontinental hotel in century city, mr. combs became extremely intoxicated and punched ms. ventura in the face, giving her a black eye. it was settled less than 24 hours later. today, ventura's attorney responding. combs' most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt. >> it's an admission likely without a lot of consequence. >> could this video mean anything for future cases? >> if diddy is sued civilly or prosecuted for other crimes, then it might be possible to get these videos into evidence. >> reporter: the l.a.'s district attorney said the case is outside the statute of limitations. >> i'm committed to be a better man each and every day. i'm not asking for forgiveness. i'm truly sorry. >> reporter: the mogul still faces multiple civil lawsuits with allegations including abuse and sexual assault spanning decades. an attorney representing other accusers responding, quote, apologies are for people who are genuinely sorry, not for

deviants whose life purpose has been to wreak havoc on everyone around them. adrienne broaddus, nbc news, los angeles. turning now to texas, where residents are still reeling after last week's devastating storms that left at least seven dead. while the majority of houston area residents have had their power restored, more than 200,000 are still in the dark. officials say it should be back by wednesday. here is tj parker from our nbc affiliate in houston. >> reporter: the sound of chainsaws have been a consistent tune outside several hisd schools that were impacted by last week's strong storms. the storms also impacted many schools' operations. tree and building damage is still being addressed across the districtment some of the hardest hit schools are robinson, page, pew, and here at sinclair elementary. despite current power outages and current damages, all four

schools are expected to be able to serve students once electricity is restored. the primary obstacle to reopening schools is the extensive power outages. hisd is working with centerpoint energy and local officials to ensure safe school operations. superintendent miles visited sinclair elementary to give us an update on class getting back into session, including possible plans to transfer students from the hardest hit schools to others. >> so if we don't have power, we're going look at the situation. if it's easy to move the kids at one school to another, then we'll do that. but most likely if a school does not have power, we'll probably have to close that school. i think it's safe to say, though, that some kids, probably 100 kids will have to be transported or parents will have to take them to a different building, a different school, closest to here. so we'll find a school that has space. >> our thanks to tj parker for that report. with the new weekend

unfortunately comes more severe weather. meteorologist michelle grossman joins us with where it's expected to strike. good morning, michelle. >> good morning, frances. we're watching that severe weather at this hour. you can see the line of storms stretching from the southern plains into the midwest. lots of lightning. we had reports of tornadoes in oklahoma and kansas. we're going to keep that severe weather risk intact today, also tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. another busy week. we're looking at the chance for severe weather. on top of that, also really heavy rainfall. today that risk affects 17 million people with winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour. could see hail, a chance of a few tornadoes. the best spots are where you see orange. places like kimball, hastings, expensing, omaha, waterloo, through the great lakes we're look at a chance future strong storms, especially this afternoon and this evening. this is what it looks like for tomorrow. severe storms, risk spans from oklahoma to southern michigan. we're also looking at a chance for torrential rainfall. by wednesday that flooding i to

people without power. in houston, 90 degrees there. 102 in san angelo. all right. that's your monday tooth. >> okay, appreciate that, michelle, thanks. coming up, who took a top spot at the weekend's box office. but first, what the ceo of airbnb is doing to bring down prices just as the summer travel season heats up. then i switch back to my regular shampoo. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. tiny troy: he's right, you know. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head and shoulders keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really? they're always on your scalp... little rascals... but good news, there's no itchiness, dryness or flakes down here! i love tiny troy. and his tiny gorgeous hair. he's the best. - make every wash count! - little help please.

pain means pause on the things you love, but... green... means... go! ♪♪ cool the pain with biofreeze. and keep on going. biofreeze. green means go. to 50 years with my best friend. [sfx: gasp] [sfx: spilling sound] nooo... aya... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. ahead of the summer travel season, airbnb is taking on the critics who have complained they're too pricey, even as the company has become one of the biggest names in the world. hallie jackson has this one-on-one with airbnb's ceo who says he is not done trying to revolutionize the travel industry. >> do you feel a little like

willy wonka? do you like that analogy? >> i love that analogy. >> reporter: brian chesky is not the first tech ceo to promise to make dreams come true. >> these are color swatches of tiles for siding for the "up"house. >> so long, boys! >> reporter: but if your dream is to spend a night in the house from the movie "up," >> we lifted this 40-foot house 50 feet in the air. >> reporter: or to sleep over at the ferrari museum in italy, airbnb may have your golden tickets. >> we always thought, what if these worlds that existed in our imagination we could bring to reality and you could book them on airbnb. >> reporter: chesky and his company launching about a dozen of these icons, as they call them, in a marketing stunt going viral, good press after a wave of harsher headlines. >> that's why we'll make sure your listing has -- an impossibly complicated lockbox. >> reporter: summed up in an "snl" sketch this spring. >> why stay in hotel when you for basically the same amount of

money you can stay in a place with worse sheets. >> reporter: did that sting? >> it didn't sting. i felt if anything, we have a huge responsibility. we're a part of culture. the brand is a noun and verb used all over the world. >> reporter: for some, the brand started straying too far from its 2007 roots as an affordable alternative to hotels. customers concerned about too many fees and higher prices. do you think you lost the thread on the value piece of it? >> a little bit. in so far as perceptions did. objectively the prices went up. >> that became this symbol for people. why am i paying these cleaning fees and humping my trash out behind the alley when i can just stay at a hotel. >> the way i think about it is, you have to listen to the community and when people tell us that airbnbs aren't as affordable as they used to be and we're feeling nickel and dimed with cleaning fees, you take that very seriously. >> reporter: chesky says they've worked hard to increase price transparency and to foster more competition among hosts. the result? >> airbnbs are cheaper than they used to be on a year to year basis. hotels are up. so the prices are going like this.

>> reporter: after a pandemic slump, airbnb has roared back after going public in 2020 but even that ipo got less attention chesky says than a promotion for the barbie dream house tied to the hit movie last year. >> if we just wanted to create a moment of joy for people, a moment of magic. >> reporter: now he thinks a.i. can help. >> what if an app could understand you, learn about your hopes, your dreams, and personalize these itineraries and these trips just for you. that's what ai can do. >> reporter: i think there are so many people who would listen to you and say that's sounds so cool. and i think some of those same people would say and also a little scary and a little risky. >> it's such an incredibly good thing. it is a little scary, and good too. that's what technology is. i think whether the world is one we should be excited about or fear depends on the people whose hands you entrust the technology with. >> reporter: like his and his company's. in his view nowhere to go but up. >> we're going to do something even crazier, bigger and bring

more magic to the world. >> bigger than the up house? >> even crazier. >> thanks to hallie for that report. still to come, employees at disneyland are making their dreams come true, but not just wishing on a star. more on the new acon tentiak by the performers behind the mickey and minnie costumes. anced hair . conquer hair thinning... ...and fall in love with your hair all over again. only from nature's bounty. wanna know a secret? more than just my armpits stink. that's why i use secret whole body deodorant... everywhere. 4 out of 5 gynecologists would recommend whole body deodorant, which gives you 72 hour odor protection from your pits to your- (sfx: deoderant being sprayed) secret whole body deodorant. sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪

try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. we're in a limestone cave, letting extreme residue build up to put finish jet dry to the test. dishwashers are designed to use jet dry to defend against tough residues for a practically spotless shine. -we're done. -what about these? looks right. nooo... nooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. sometimes your work shirt needs to be for more than just work. like when it needs to be a big, soft shoulder to cry on. which is why downy does more to make clothes softer, fresher, and better. downy. breathe life into your laundry.

new herbal essences is packed with naturally derived plant based ingredients your hair will love and none of the stuff it won't. our sulfate free collections smell incredible and leave your hair touchably soft and smooth. new herbal essences.

i can help you. >> how? >> i'm a kid. >> you are the chosen one. >> no, let's not give her a complex. >> good luck, zack. it's all up to you. no pressure. ♪ on the floors of tokyo ♪ >> all right. let's find these ifs some kids. >> even the most creative kid in the world would find it hard to imagine, but a better first week of "if" debuted at number one with $35 million. "kingdom of the planet of the apes" dropped to number two, taking in 26 million in its second weekend. and horror thriller "the strangers: chapter 1" scared up

$12 million in its theatrical debut. i can not wait. it is total family viewing. we're at that stage where we have teens, right? and then our other kids are younger. so we need to find a nice balance. it seems like this will be it. >> adorable. then they're going to think about all their imaginary friends when they were little. now employees at the happiest place on earth looking to bring a new kind of magic to their jobs. on saturday, parade performers at disneyland resort in california officially voted to unionize with actors equity association. the website tracking the vote says the measure passed with 78.7%, up cast members voting yes. the president of actors equity said their discussions will iminclude improvements to health and safety and wages and more. this is a tough job. they kind of need that behind them. >> and you can't have a bad day, right? it's all smiles. well, not behind the mask. the characters certainly do. but a lot -- it takes a lot at the happiest place on earth.

all right. when we come back, how simone biles is kicking off the road to paris in 2024. and the new york's live stream is back with just a few changes. [dog whimpers] [thinking] why always the couch? does he need to go to puppy school? get his little puppy diploma? how much have i been spending on this little guy? when your questions about life turn into questions about money... there's erica. the virtual financial assistant to help you spend, save, and plan smarter. only from bank of america. new mr. clean ultra foamy magic eraser? with the scrubbing power of magic eraser and the cleaning power of dawn. watch it make soap scum here... disappear... and sprays can leave grime like that ultra foamy melts it on contact. magic. new ultra foamy magic eraser. bother the bugs. not your family. ahh! zevo is made with essential oils which attack bugs' biological systems. it wipes cleanly,

plus is safe for use around people and pets. gotcha! zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. long after guests leave, viruses and bacteria linger. air fresheners add a scent. but only lysol air sanitizer helps erase the trace, eliminating odor and killing 99.9% of viruses and bacteria in the air. scent can't sanitize. lysol can. sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪ head & shoulders is launching something huge. with non-habit the bare minimum. anti-dandruff shampoo made with only nine ingredients - no sulfates, silicones or dyes and packaged with 45% less plastic - giving you outstanding dandruff protection and leaving hair beautiful and moisturized. major dandruff protection,

minimal ingredients. job done. new head & shoulders bare. (♪♪) this is a hot flash. this is a hot flash. but this is a not flash. for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause... ...veozah is the first and only prescription treatment that directly blocks a source of hot flashes and night sweats. with 100% hormone-free veozah... ...you can have fewer hot flashes... ...and more not flashes. veozah reduces the number and severity of hot flashes day and night. don't use veozah if you have cirrhosis, severe kidney problems, kidney failure, or take cyp1a2 inhibitors. increased liver blood test values may occur. your doctor will check them before and during treatment. most common side effects include stomach pain, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, and back pain. ask your doctor about hormone-free veozah... ...and enjoy more not flashes.

you could save on veozah. visit saveonveozah.com to learn more. now to what's making headlines this morning on a monday. the man charged with punching steve buscemi in manhattan on may 8th is being held in a new york jail on a $50,000 bond. it's unclear if the 50-year-old suspect has a lawyer. he is due back in court on thursday. in her first meet of the season, simone biles won the core hydration classic. the 37 time world and olympics medalist has already qualified for the championships later this month. but the classic is an important stepping stone toe making the five-member paris olympics gymnastics team. france is celebrating the baguette with a scratch and sniff stamp. the batch of nearly 600,000 stamps has a bakery scent. the live stream portal linking new york and dublin

reopened sunday after being shut down due to inappropriate behavior. the installation's organizers have added fencing and spacing details in front of the new york side. inif people obstruct the camera it will trigger a blurring on both sides. we'll be right back. -we're done. -what about these? looks right. it will trigger a blurring on both sides. we'll be right back. if people ot will trigger a blurring on both sides. we'll be right back. bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. wanna know a secret? with new secret outlast, you can almost miss the bus... but smell like you didn't. secret fights 99% of odor-causing bacteria. smell fresh for up to 72 hours. secret works! it's a crime to smell that good. pain means pause on the things you love, but... green... means... go! ♪♪ cool the pain with biofreeze.

and keep on going. biofreeze. green means go. (smelling) ew. gotta get rid of this. ♪tell me why♪ because it stinks. ♪have you tried downy rinse and refresh♪ it helps remove odors 3x better than detergent alone. it worked guys! ♪yeahhhh♪ downy rinse and refresh. for anyone looking for a unique vacation this summer, a new resort in the garden state is promising a wild experience. nbc's valerie castro has a behind-the-scenes look at the safari resort and spa opening up at new jersey's six flag great

adventure. >> reporter: if you're looking for an exotic vacation this summer, look no further than new jersey. >> they don't have the travel halfway across the world to experience the savannahs of africa. >> reporter: six flags great adventure is celebrating 50 years of fun with gnaw addition to its safari theme park, the savannah resort and spa. we got a first look at construction ramps up. glamping in the savannah, are they going to be surrounded by animals? what is the experience going to be like? >> we're going to have 20 glamping suites that guests can enjoy the vistas, see animals on safari. >> reporter: glamping saw an explosion in popularity as a safe way to travel and get out in nature. the trend is only growing. conde nast traveler editor. >> glamping is elevated camping. but you're going to have showers. you're probably going to have comfy beds. probably the best of both

worlds. >> reporter: suites sergeant at $500 a night for a two-night stay. and a vip experience. each luxury accommodation has all the comforts of home. >> you'll actually see a little kitchenette type area. they'll have a keurig. they'll have the mini fridge as well. >> reporter: and none of the headaches of actual camping. >> so no outhouse port oh potty situation. >> no. they can find everything right here. >> reporter: but the real star defense show, the animals that roam the park's 350 acres and will surround the resort. >> you imagine how high we are right now. with the railing say about 12 or so feet, 14 feet up. a giraffe will walk right by, about 18 feet tall. pretty cool experience, right? >> reporter: the safari is celebrating 50 years of education and conservation, featuring 1200 animal, 80 species from six continents. >> one of the most important species we have here are the american bison that were once critically endangered in the

u.s. through conservation efforts, we've been able to get their numbers back up. >> reporter: the park is also home to elephants, zebras, brown bear, including a couple of adorable cubs. >> it's important to educate people why are they threatened. >> reporter: a wild sight to see this summer. >> safari with roller coaster in the background. you can't get any better than that for summer fun. thanks to valerie castro for that report. thanks to you for watching "early today." i'm frances rivera. have a great monday and we'll see you back here tuesday morning.

breaking overnight, iran's president confirmed dead after a helicopter crashed near the border with azerbaijan. we're live with the early reaction, and what we know about what went wrong. here at home, president biden and former president trump are back on the trail.