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of d-day. his message to veterans about the world and defending democracy. a date is set for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to address the american congress. this as israel is facing growing criticism over its latest strike on a school in gaza. we have a lyive report. extreme heat and severe weather battering much of the country still. tornados touching down in ohio, while the southwest is seeing triple digit temperatures. meteorologist angie lassman tells us how long this will last. a major about face from the fda. the agency now reversing its ban on juul e-cigarettes. and meet the push to bring vibrant food to calf feterias around the country. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm jessica layton. president biden hammering home his message about defending

democracy during his time in france. in just a few hours, he is expected to meet with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy. president biden spoke of the power of alliances, as he honored the heroes of d-day, 80 years after troops landed on the beaches of normandy. here's peter alexander. >> reporter: 80 years later, where youthful bravery landed, these last-surviving heroes returned. ♪ ♪ just above the shores where 150,000 allied troops waded into the surf and were met by an endless barrage of nazi bullets. from the president, a solemn tribute. >> it's the highest honor to be able to salute you here in normandy once more. all of you. god love you. >> reporter: fewer than 200 of america's sons who stormed these beaches on d-day to help reclaim the continent from nazi germany are still with us. the commander in chief greeting most of them, moist wst wearingr

uniforms, some in wheelchairs and over 100 years old. president biden touting a unified front of western allies that succeeded on d-day. >> it was a powerful illustration of how alliances, real alliances, make us stronger. a lesson that i pray we americans never forget. >> reporter: on this anniversary, the president also harnessing the harrowism of that day. the danger of a russian victory in ukraine. >> we stand against tyranny, against evil, against crushing brutality of the iron fist. we stand for freedom. we defend democracy. >> reporter: among the most poignant and personal moments, ukraine's volodymyr zelenskyy embraced by a d-day veteran. >> oh, you're the save ior of t people. >> reporter: we've visited with tom hanks. >> we have a few men and women

who i see as being 16, 17, 18, maybe 25 years old. were it not for their choice to come and do the right thing 80 years ago, you and i would not be standing here right now. >> reporter: and we met 100-year-old corporal tarren, who tells us about the memories that still haunts him. >> war is disgusting. if you've ever been on the battlefield, you have nightmares. >> reporter: miles from here he'll marry his 96-year-old fiance, trusting all the friends he lost will be with him. >> i love each and every one of them. i just feel good coming here. it brings back unpleasant memories, but it makes me feel good that i haven't forgotten any, any one of them or any, anything. >> and our thanks to peter for

that report. now to more dramatic testimony in the federal gun trial of hunter biden. that jury hearing from hunter's past romantic partner, hallie biden, the widow of his late brother beau. she testified she found hunter's gun, the same one prosecutors say he bought after lying on a government form when he claimed he was not an active drug user. hallie says she threw the gun away because she didn't want her kids to find it. she testified that hunter acted agitated and she saw him with drugs. then during cross examination she admitted she never witnessed any drug use during the month that hunter bought the gun. as this case closes in on a verdict, prooesident biden saysf his son is convicted he will not be offering him a pardon. a former advisor to donald trump has been ordered to report to prison. steve bannon found guilty on two counts of contempt of congress two years ago when he refused to comply with subpoenas from the

january 6 committee. now he's ordered to begin his sentence on july 1st after a higher court rejected his appeal. his lawyers are arguing it should be on hold until tappeal all the way to the supreme court. the date is set. benjamin netanyahu will be addressing a joint session of congress on july 24th. that's according to two sources familiar with the plan. several democrats have indicated they will boycott the speech, as israel is being condemned around the world for the civilian toll in its war in gaza. in the latest tragedy, dozens were killed in ha sa strike on u.n. school in a refugee camp in the the ggaza strip.

we do want to warn you i. it is graphic. >> reporter: some they say participated in the october 7 attack who were using the school, israel says to plan and execute other attacks against israel. in the end, israel said that they tried, that they did postpone these strikes twice in order to avoid civilian casualties. and in the end say the strike killed at least nine militants. but, the al aqsa hospital said that up to 31 civilians, including women and children, were killed in that strike, even though nbc news has not been able to independently confirm that number. as we mentioned, the school was run by the united nations agency. and at least according to witnesses, the missiles hit two classrooms in the school that were filled with palestinian r refugees who were sheltering there. hamas in a statement said that strike was enabled by the

failure, by the international community to use its leverage to protect civilians. and on the same day, 17 leaders from around the world, including the united states, they issued a joint statement saying, calling for hamas to approve their latest deal proposed by president biden on the cease-fire and the release of the e hodges. a woman in california has been mauled to death by a black bear. 71-year-old patris mce miller w found dead in her home. originally they thought a bear had entered her house after she died. but an autopsy confirmed that the bill did kill her. the state wildlife association tracked it down and killed the

bear. a swath of deadly storms wreaked havoc, spawning 22 tornados across five different states. at least one person was killed and more than a dozen others hurt. and the f-2 tornado was confirmed in ohio, blowing roofs off buildings and knocking out power to most of the residents there. meanwhile, stifling temperatures into the triple digits. phoenix reaching a record high of 113 degrees. las vegas hitting 111. angie lassman joins us with weather. any relief on the way? it is brutal right now. >> about that relief, yes, we're going to start to see a little bit of a cooldown torfor some o these spots. but then we'll turn our attention to another part of the country that could see some of that here. 22 million people under alerts here across the southwest. they extend from texas all the

way to california. and temperatures are expected to once again hit the triple digits today. we did break some records in this region. today we're not quite looking at a record in phoenix. albuquerque possibly tying a record high today. el paso headed to 106. by the time we get into, basically tomorrow and beyond, things will start to slow, an indication of relief. we've got the high 90s for albuquerque. el paso will hit 103. look what happens by the time the weekend rolls around in florida. temperatures well into the 90s. we could likely see record-breaking temperatures there. and the humidity to deal with here, which will bring us into the triple digits for what it feels like across that region this weekend. meanwhile, middle of the country going to see storms fire up u it

uerque, amarillo and lubbock. 99 degrees with full sunshine for san antonio. new orleans hits 94 today. and that's a look at your forecast, jessica. back to you. >> all right, angie, thanks. happy friday. coming up, dishing up healthy foods in our schools, one culture at a time. a time. sfx: [birds chirping] for nourished, lightweight hair, the right ingredients make all the difference. new herbal essences sulfate free is now packed with plant-based ingredients your hair will love. like pure aloe. and camellia flower oil. and none of the things it won't. hair feels deeply nourished, soft and lightweight. plant power you can feel. new herbal essences sulfate free. skin feeling rougher than sandpaper? don't let it ruin your day.

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rice and sweet plantains. but this food isn't for restaurant. it's for kids at phillips academy charter school in paterson, new jersey. you i wouldn't find your typical school lunch here. but, instead, a plate of dominican, jamaican, or indian food made completely from scratch. all thanks to the red rabbit food company. the black-owned organization serves more than 45,000 meals to kids daily across ten cities. their mission, bringing healthy meals from all cultures to the cafeteria. what was your favorite part of the meal? >> chicken. >> reporter: does it remind you of the food you eat at home? >> yeah, kind of. it basically tastes, it basically tastes just like my meal at home. >> reporter: this is the chief business officer at red rabbit. the goal is to create meals from historically marginalized communities feel like they belong in all school spaces,

including the lunch room. >> we're constantly pushing what school food should look like, beyond what is standard and what is considered school food. today, what rid rabbit is doing is hiring professionally trained chefs from the communities that we serve, which allows them to create culturally relevant meals that are not only great tasting but authentic. >> reporter: about 76% of phillips academy students are hispanic and 23% are black. the chef creates beef tacos and meals students may find at home. he says every time he cooks for the students, he pours his whole heart into it, knowing they will smile when they take their first bite. >> when we create something that reminds like my mom used to cook this or my grandma, it brings back memories to them. >> reporter: red rabbit also focuses on the physical space where students are eating and wants them to feel represented. for this 11-year-old, she gets

excited every time she sees a meal thatreminds her of her puerto rican and mexican heritage. >> the food here is hike better because it's like people actually cooking it and from hike home like home and stuff, and other kids can relate to having it many. >> reporter: red rabbit continues to expand with plans to bring culturally inclusive meals to washington, d.c. and beyond. >> no person can truly begin to learn and experience life when there is a feeling that they are not in the right place or they're not supposed to be, or that they don't have that sense of belonging. i firmly believe that red rabbit, at least for a moment in time, is providing children with an opportunity to feel fully seen and heard with the reflection of themselves on that plate. >> that was maya brown reporting

for nbcu academy. it's a program focussing on journalism. still it come, pat sajak and vanna white have solved the puzzle of friendship. the long-time "wheel of fortune" partners saying hello ahead of pat's farewell show tonight. we have more after this. w tonig. we have more after this. d 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. schwarzkopf has 125 years of professional hair expertise. that's why i trust them to create the perfect blonde.

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i don't know how to put into words what these past 41 years have meant to me, but i'm going to try. what an incredible and unforgettable journey we've had. and i've enjoyed every minute of it with you. i love you, pat. >> pat sajak won't spin his last wheel until tonight, but vanna white didn't want to lose her turn to say good-bye. she gave a teary farewell to her

partner of muore than four decades. sajak will stay on as a consultant for the producer, he will be starring in the pilot episode of colombo in hawaii. wow, think about the relationship that you form at work. working with someone that long, 8,000 episodes, 41 years. that's going to be sad tonight. >> it's going to be sad tonight. but talk about time for a career change? you can do it at any age. he is moving into acting? how cool is that. i had no idea that was his next step. the man who revolutionized pop music is bringing his creative energy to a new media. >> hi, pharrell. you know what would be cool? if we told my story with lego pieces. >> seriously? >> the first look at the pharrell williams biopic, it covers the major moments in the mega producer's life through lego animation. >> he has a stacked cast,

including kendrick lamar, gwen st stefani and snoop dogg. when you think about pharrell williams, you think creativity. of course he thought, let's think outside of the box and showcase my life in a different way, with legos. >> and i like the title there, assembled. when we come back, why the fda is reversing a ban on a major e-cigarette brand. r e-cig. [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.

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battlefield. a 103-year-old receiving france's highest honor for her vital role during that war. ellison barber has her story. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: hero in uniform, returning to normandy, france, marking 80 years since d-day. world leaders showing their appreciation as veterans take in the heroes' welcome on the shores of omaha beach. only menwere eligible for combat at the time, but the women's branch of the uk's royal navy played a key role that day. christian lamb is 103 years old. in her 20s, she'd moved to france for school but decided to return home to england when she heard that war was imminent. >> i always felt very strongly about france, and i wanted anything that would help me to get france back to the french.

>> reporter: making maps of places allies would need. she explains how she used a large map, the kind that can only hang on walls, to create pocket-sized guides that pilots could take with them to easily identify landmarks and orient themselves from the air. they showed railways, roads, churches and castles. little details with an enormous impact. her maps helped british troops navigate to their precise destination and escape enemy fire. in the fog of ar, it often takes time to make out the heroes. but now the world knows christian lamb. >> that constant selflessness and devotion. >> reporter: french president homo emmanuel macron honoring her with a medal. a legion of honor.

>> you were one of those heroes in the shadows, i would say. you were not there in person. but you guided each step they took. >> reporter: lamb says her contribution was quote, just part of life. >> i feel very glad that i was able to do something useful. i don't feel that anybody owes me anything for it. >> reporter: but it was so much more. christian lamb, officially recognized as a hero. on the ground she so diligently studied 80 years ago. ellison barber, nbc news. >> that does it for "early today" on this friday. i'm jessica layton, have a great weekend. weekend.

a right to marry regardless of gender or ethnicity