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the testimony they asked to be reread, plus the instructions they were given by the judge. secretary of state blinken opening the door in a change of policy that would allow ukraine to strike inside russia with american weapons. after a mass arrival of new floridians during the covid pandemic, thousands say they're leaving the sunshine state. what's driving the exodus? all charges now dropped against pro golfer scottie scheffler. why the prosecution is no longer pursuing the case. and a major baseball milestone. some of the game's greatest players now officially being recognized as mlb incorporates negro stats into its record books. it's thursday, may 30, "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm frances rivera. we begin with a verdict watch happening here in new york. the jury in donald trump's hush

money trial will soon begin day two of deliberations. during day one, they had questions about the process and some testimony. laura jarret kicks off our coverage. >> reporter: jury deliberations wrapping up in former president trump's hush money case. the first trial of an american president. seven men and five women deliberating for roughly four and a half hours after sitting through more than an hour of complex instructions from the judge, who told the manhattan jury to set aside any bias for or against mr. trump and to not ignore any evidence simply because you want the trial to end. judge juan merchan walking jurors through each of the 34 counts mr. trump faces for allegedly falsifying his business records to cover up michael cohen's payoff of a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election, which mr. trump denies. the charge normally a misdemeanor raised to a low-level felony here, because prosecutors argue they allegedly doctored records and were meant to cover up another crime. in this case, a conspiracy to

promote mr. trump's candidacy in 2016 through, quote, unlawful means. at trial, prosecutors raise possible violations of multiple other laws that could qualify as those unlawful means, including campaign finance violations mr. trump was never charged with. the judge instructing the jury to reach a gyuilty verdict they need not be unanimous about which unlawful means triggers that. a major advantage for prosecutors. >> mother theresa could not beat those charges, but we'll see. it's a very unfair trial. >> reporter: the jury asking for read back from the very first witness, david pecker as well as cohen. and jurors instructed not to consider the possible sentence mr. trump could receive. if convicted, he faces anywhere from four years in prison to just probation. and the presumptive gop nominee can still be elected president, even if he's found guilty. >> our thanks to laura for that

report. supreme court judge samuel alito is refusing to recuse himself from cases that involve january 6 and former president trump. he has faced pressure to recuse himself after reports about flags that were previously seen flying at two of his homes. the flags are popular among trump supporters who deny the 2020 election results. he blames his wife martha ann whom he asked several times to take it down, but she refused. 18 democrats from the house judiciary committee signed a letter asking chief justice roberts if alito violated the court's new code of conduct and urging him to enforce the code. president biden making a stop in pennsylvania, part of a new bid to reach out to black voters. alice barr has the latest.

>> reporter: president biden and vice president harris in philadelphia, working to shore up support with a critical constituency. black voters. >> we're investing more in black americans than any administration in history has. we're opening more doors for economic opportunity. >> reporter: black voters were essential to president biden's 2020 victory, but recent polling shows much lower interest at this stage heading into the next election. and former president trump is making some gains among voters of color. >> trump is the man that can save this country. >> reporter: drawing a diverse crowd at a rally in the bronx last week. >> there's too much crime. everything is going downhill. the economy's going bad. the food is expensive. >> reporter: the president and vice president unveiling a new effort. black voters for biden-harris, aiming to team up with trusted surrogates to directly engage with black communities. >> that sustained organizing works. in stark contrast to the outreach efforts or lack there

of that we see from the trump campaign. >> reporter: at morgan state, a historically black university in baltimore, some students are planning to mobilize against former president trump. >> i do not trust him. and i think if he ends up wink the presidency, america will turn into something unrecognizable. >> reporter: while a key message stands out. black voters are not a monolith. >> it's important to allow us to form our own thoughts and opinions, because we haven't been aifforded the option to do that previously. >> reporter: voters looking for authenticity and results as election outreach ramps up. alice barr, nbc news. secretary of state antony blinken is in prague this morning as part of a multi-day meeting with nato foreign ministers. earlier at a press conference with the president of moldova, blinken made headlines by leaving the door open to a key shift in u.s. policy, allowing ukraine to fire american weapons into russian federation

territory. >> we haven't encouraged or enabled strikes outside of ukraine. but ukraine, as i've said before, has to make its own decisions about the best way to effect the war. >> good morning claudio, why are these remarks significant? >> reporter: good morning, frances. even just the idea that the united states will allow ukraine to use american-made weapons to attack russia was completely unthinkable up to two years ago at the start of the war when president biden continued or repeatedly asked zelenskyy not to do that for fear that it would lead to an escalation between nato and russia. and then possibly to world war iii. nowadays the u.s. administration is at least being very careful about that or cautious. john kirby, the spokesperson for the national security council saying there is no change in that policy. but then, as you heard antony

bli blinken on wednesday said the u.s. is ready to adjust and adapt, according to the conditions on the battleground. right now ukraine is finding it very difficult to fend off russia's attacks. now the question is how will russia react? well, on tuesday, vladimir putin told reporters it can lead to serious consequences in europe. how will the united states behave. and of course, frances, with that, he's referring also to nuclear weapons. back to you. >> claudio. thank you. as scott peterson is having his case re-examined, a california judge has ruled that only one item from a list of several should undergo new dna testing. the l.a. innocence project caused controversy when they took up the notorious murder case. peterson always strenuously denied that he murdered his pregnant wife laci in 2002. he was convicted and ultimately

sentenced to life in prison. the item to be tested again is a piece of duct tape found on the victim's pants. the hearing is scheduled for july 1st to talk about testing stipulations. charges have been dropped against the world's top golfer. according to the police report, scottie scheffler tried to drive around a traffic accident on his way to the pga championship. he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer. the prosecutor has dropped the case, saying scheffler's charac characterization that this was a big misunderstanding is corroborated by the evidence. scheffler wants to put the incident behind him. multiple suspects are in custody after a high-speed chase in miami dade. cops say they saw a silver suv scoping out warehouses. when they ran the plates, they found out the car was stolen. after a dangerous chase with the suv weaving in and out of lanes at high speeds, police boxed in the car on the expressway and arrested the suspects. may is going out with a

bang. the severe weather refusing to let up this morning. angie lassman is here with a look at the radar. good morning, angie. >> you guessed it. more severe weather in the forecast today. we're seeing that mainly focussed across the plains. as we get into the afternoon hours, we'll see more of these start to ramp up, especially some of these stronger storms possible as we get into the evening hours, specifically across parts of texas. by the time beget intwe get intw it's the heavier rain we watch along with the severe weather. here's the area we're watching closely today. notice, texas does see a moderate or enhanced risk, rather, across parts of amarillo, including lubbock as well. hail up to two inches, wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and isolated tornados. the baseball-sized hail, amarillo to san angelo is on the table. some of these areas stretching into louisiana and parts of arkansas as well as oklahoma.

22 million people will be at risk. on top of that, i mentioned the flooding concern. we'll see over 2 to 3 inches in some of these spots. the bull's eye, parts of foreca su sioux falls. chicago with highs in the low 70s. and that's a look at your forecast, frances. back to you. >> angie, thank you. pandemonium is already setting in at the zoo. two pandas are expected to arrive in d.c. last november, panda-mania came to an end when the original agreement expired as u.s.-china

relationbecame strained and the zoo sent back its three bears. now they are excitedly updating the panda exhibit ahead of the new arrivals. coming up, the game-changing decision by the mlb shaking uh the history books. plus the sunshine state losing its luster for some. why some are rethinking their big move. me are rethinking thei big move. so if you're frustrated with occasional bloating... ♪♪ [stomach noises] gas... or abdominal discomfort... help stop the frustration and start taking align every day. align probiotic was specifically designed by gastroenterologists to help relieve your occasional digestive upsets. so you can enjoy life. when you feel the signs, it's time to try align. with cascade platinum plus, i have upped my dish game auntie, in that dishwasher? watch me platinum plus gives you the highest standard of clean, even in your machine. clean enough for you? yeah!

scrape. load. done. cascade platinum plus. when millions of americans moved during the pandemic, few states saw a bigger boom than florida. but for some transplants, the sunshine state is losing some of its shine. shannon pettypiece explains. >> this is beautiful, you know. you can't ask for a nicer setting. >> reporter: months into the pandemic, dennis cole sold his connecticut home and, like hundreds of thousands of americans, headed to florida. many drawn by the state's lower taxa

ta taxes and sunny skies. but now he's preparing to put his house on the market and head back north. >> you have political issues in florida that are just ugly. we have costs skyrocketing. >> reporter: florida has been among the fastest-growing states in the nation since the start of the pandemic. in 2022 alone, more than 700,000 people moved there. but, at the same time, nearly 500,000 left. the largest number since the great recession. we spoke with dozens of former florida residents who have recently recently left the state. among the reasons they gave, a soaring cost of living. florida has had one of the highest rates of inflation. last year car insurance was up 24% and homeowner's shuinsuranc 32%. >> they hoff the love the blue dolphins and water but it comes at a price.

>> reporter: are you getting a lot of calls from people who moved here during covid and are ready to leave? >> yes, we are. >> reporter: what are some of the reasons they're giving? >> politics, politics. >> reporter: they have enacted some of the most conservative laws in the country. >> my in-migration want to move due to politics. my out-migration people want to move due to politics. >> reporter: florida let the country in domestic in-migration in 2022 and saw the highest population growth in generations. >> this has always been a transient state. people always come and go. that's normal. our policies have attracted folks. >> reporter: for cole who considered himself a moderate conservative, the state's political shift to the right has contributed to his decision to leave. >> whether it's fighting with disney or the whole lgbtq thing, it's just that there are so many things that make it

uncomfortable for a lot of people to be here. >> reporter: leaving him and others looking for a brighter future outside the sunshine state. shannon pettypiece, nbc news, st. pete beach, florida. still to come, what can they say except, you're welcome. moana returns to the seas in the look at moana 2. s in the look at moana 2. and avocado, ♪ ♪ berries, butter, coffee, cream, ♪ ♪ drippy fingers, deviled eggs ♪ ♪ and empanadas (red and green), ♪ ♪ fettuccine, grits and gravy, ♪ ♪ even hummus, ice cream too, ♪ ♪ jambalaya, jars of kimchi, ♪ ♪ lemonade and cheesy noods. ♪ it has four rolls in one so it lasts longer and feels like the roll never runs out. ♪ nachos, oven, pumpkin guts and puppy footprints, ♪ ♪ potted planters, sneezes, taco tuesday, ♪ ♪ upside-down cake, vindaloo, waffles, ♪ ♪ xo sauce and yogurt, ziti, ♪ ♪ mommy's glass of zinfandeeeellll! ♪ bounty. the quicker picker upper. you know those mornings when it takes just a little bit extra to get you out of bed? this might be it.

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this is a call. sail to new skies and reconnect our people across the entire ocean. >> boat snack! >> we know those characters. only dwayne johnson knows how far he'll go in the first trailer for moana 2. they once again travel across the seas on a new adventure. the long-awaited sequel to the

modern disney classic hits theaters on november 27th. one of my favorite, favorite disney movies of all time. a lot of it was because of the music. this is going to be a musical, too. but i'm kind of bummed because lin manuel miranda is not going to be behind the lyrics this time. >> i know what you mean. it's so funny to see them grown-up, right? this is my first time seeing the trailer. how cute there. now to netflix looking to hit new notes in the reality tv game. the streamer is developing new music competition shows with a netflix twist. one of the projects said to be in the pipeline is described as a cross between the voice and netflix's own love is blind where contestants would audition to be in a band without actually sighing each other until their final performance. it come as the streamer is seeking to expand their footprint in the field of reality tv. there's other ones in the works that willsongelsonger writerr ws

competing to write for musicians. when we come back, a new warning from nissan that you'll want to hear before you hit the road this morning. and thanks to pizza hut, kids can enjoy their summer reading with a side of pizza. me reading with a side of pizza. [announcer] introducing allison's plaque psoriasis. she thinks her flaky gray patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. allison! over here! otezla can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing otezla for over a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression,

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have found that a.i. misinformation has surged. while the paper has not yet been peer reviewed. it shows how quickly the tech has been embraced by people trying to spread false information. and pizza hut is bringing back camp book it. it celebrates the 40th anniversary. kids who meet their monthly reading goals set by parents will earn a free personal pan pizza from the restaurant. "early today" will be right back. e right back. did you know some dish soaps don't remove all the grease, even with scrubbing? whaaat? i just cleaned those! try dawn platinum. it removes 99% of grease and food residue. that's why dawn is trusted to save wildlife affected by oil. dawn platinum cleans to the squeak. when your gut is out of balance,

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history's greatest players. here's shaquille brewster. >> reporter: it's a dramatic shift in the recorded history of major league baseball. for the first time, mlb is including data from the negro leagues in official stats. josh gibson, who went pro in 1930 now heads the league's number one batting average and slugging slugging percentage, surpassing ty cobb, and barry bonds and babe ruth. gibson's great grandson says the honor is meaningful. this had will change how other people view him, but does it alter how you view him? >> no. if josh gibson played in the negroes or the major leagues, he was still one of the greatest of all time. >> reporter: the recognition coming after an independent committee spent more than three years reviewing a patchwork of available data, including thousands of box scores, with

more than 2300 players from the negro leagues now entered into the public database. >> we have a whole lot of black baseball players who are great, who, but for the color of their skin, would be competing with ty cobb, would be striking out babe ruth. >> reporter: in a statement, mlb said this initiative will ensure that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the negro leagues possible. last week, the league and its players association also announcing expanded financial assistance programs to support players from the negro leagues, but few are still alive. >> we've caught up with our past. we've made it right. we, this is sort of reparations. reparations come to major league baseball. >> reporter: official records honoring some of baseball's greats. shaquille brewster, nbc news. now to a towering achievement for a mt. everest

climber. they scaled the summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes. that's the fastest ever for a female climber. it took her another nine hours to get down from the mountain. according to a new study published in the journal frontiers in medicine, two ancient egyptian skulls belonged to some of the earliest-known cancer patients. they had cut marks around cancerous growths. so this suggests that ancient egyptians explored ways to treat cancer through operations. researchers calling it a milestone in the history of medicine. that's our time here for "early today," thanks for kicking off your morning with us. i'm frances rivera, have a great thursday.

in police custody. the bay area city where he was found and who they believepe