♪ the stage is set for a debate unlike any before it. president biden and former president trump set to face off

earlier than any previous showdown in the nation's history. we're live with how the candidates are preparing for their high-stakes debate. an arkansas community reeling after a supermarket rampage. four people killed and multiple more injured in friday's shooting. what investigators have learned about the motive. a tragic start to the summer beach season. deadly rip currents killing at least seven people over the weekend on the coasts of new york and florida. how you can keep your family safe in the water. an mlb legend's emotional look back at a painful past. reggie jackson reflects on the racism he endured while starting his historic career. after years of soaring travel costs, we have new good news. what's driving down prices for your summer road trip. it's monday, june 24th. "early today" starts right now. good morning to you. i'm richard lui. we're going to start with the week that could reshape the race for the white house. president biden and former

president trump will clash in their first 2024 debate thursday night. it's the earliest presidential showdown in u.s. history, and the high stakes rematch is sure to offer a stark contrast between the two candidates on key issues. nbc's alice barr joins us from washington with the details. alice, good morning to you. the fight over reproductive rights will be front and center for sure. >> reporter: that is for sure, riched a. today marks two years since the dobbs decision by the u.s. supreme court that overturned roe v. wade. this is going to be the first presidential debate since that dobbs decision, and abortion rights is certainly a top issue for many voters. expect to see it focused on on the stage, because the biden campaign believes it's an issue that can help democrats, can help the president at the polls in november. it will be a galvanizing issue in what is expected to be a close election. the president is hunkered down at camp david this week, going through intensive debate prep with close aides who have signaled that he won't shy away

from calling former president trump a convicted felon while up on the debate stage and will attempt to hold him accountable for what they see as his extreme record on everything from abortion rights to promoting political violence, as they put it. mr. trump's campaign advisers say that he plans to stick to the issues like president biden's policies on immigration, on the economy. and sources say that the former president is sticking to the campaign trail for his debate prep. >> it's been reported that right now, crooked joe's gone to a log cabin to study, prepare. no, he didn't do -- he's sleeping now. because they want to get him good ask strong. >> the person who wants to be president has to go sit with his probation officer before he actually goes to the debate. and so it is just a fact, but it's not just to call donald trump a convicted felon. it goes to his behavior, and it goes to his character.

>> reporter: meanwhile, mr. trump says his yet to be named running mate will be at the debate on thursday. sources tell nbc news the focus has been on three top contenders. north dakota governor doug burgum, ohio senator j.d. vance, florida senator marco rubio. all eyes will be peeled looking for any of those three faces at the debate on thursday. back to you, richard. >> alice, thank you for that. the this morning, the judge overseeing donald trump's classified documents case will continue hearing arguments in the defense's motion to dismiss the indictment, trump's legal team arguing special counsel jack smith was illegally appointed because it was not approved first by congress. the prosecution says the justice department is well within its power to appoint special counsels. later in the afternoon, the judge will hear jack smith's motion to issue a gag order against trump in this case. in its filing, smith says trump poses an imminent threat to law

enforcement, citing a trump supporter's alleged recent threat against an fbi agent. taking you to columbus, ohio, where ten people were shot in the city's arch district early sunday morning. police say two teens were among the victims. one of the victims is in critical condition, though all are expected to recover. police had asked for the public's help in finding a suspect who got away in a white honda civic after a highway chase. a man claiming to be that driver turned himself in and was charged with obstructing official business. new updates this morning about last week's fatal mass shooting in arkansas as well. state police on sunday giving a detailed account of the attack that left four dead and ten injured at a grocery store in the town of fordyce on friday. one of the victims rendering aid to another before she was killed, calling it one of the most selfless acts he had ever seen. police revealed they found no apparent motive for the rampage. >> there appears to be no personal connection to the

shooter or any of the victims. it was just a completely random, senseless act. >> the suspect is currently facing four counts of capital murder. he could face the death penalty if convicted. now to a weekend tragedy in new york. authorities there are undertaking a recovery effort for two teenage boys who are believed to have been pulled in by a rip current at jacob reese beach in queens friday. nbc's marisa parra has the latest details on that and other drowning incidents through the early days of summer. >> reporter: a heartbreaking start to summer in new york. at jacob reese beach in queens, search and rescue from land, air, and sea looking for two missing teenagers swept away by dangerous waters and never resurfacing. >> this is a tragedy. this is a parent's worst nightmare. we think it might be a riptide, but that's still under investigation. >> reporter: rough surf posing

challenges for even the most experienced rescuers. >> the currents are extremely, extremely rough. divers had to come out of the water because the currents were extremely dangerous too, rough. >> reporter: florida has already seen two deadly swimming incidents within two days. tragedy striking in panama city beach. police say three tourists were swept away in a rip current, launching an all-out search and rescue mission for harold hunter, jamonda ray, and marius richardson. none of them survived. this after a rip current took the lives of a mother and father of six across the same state in stewart beach. >> the kids, one or both, got caught in the riptide. brian and/or erika went after, they both went after, they got the kids out and they got caught. >> reporter: family say they were athletic and strong, but no match for the dangerous waters. >> anything were to come of this, it was that people are aware of how dangerous rip currents can be. >> reporter: rip currents are a

powerful channel of water formed when waves break near the shoreline, and they're often hard to see from the ground. but signs like a line of white foam or a narrow passage of darker water in the ocean can be clues of a rip current that could save lives of even the strongest of swimmers. >> our thanks to marisa for that report. turning now to weather where parts of ohio and south dakota were struck by historic flooding over the weekend. a combination of heavy rain and overflowing rivers led to massive property damage and evacuations across the region. floods have also resulted in at least one death. authorities in south dakota say an 87-year-old man was killed saturday after his vehicle rolled down an embankment created by a washed-out roadway. and this morning, the northeast is bracing for severe storms there while over 40 million people are still under a heat alert. michelle grossman, nbc meteorologist, good morning to you. a lot to watch still. >> there's a lot to watch, yeah. we're looking at summer heat and storms. the bull's-eye is going to be in

portions of the upper midwest. that's going to be the same story tomorrow. ac the country, over 40 million from california to the plains into the southeast. temperatures climbing into the triple digits. if you don't get there, we're going to factor in humidity. it will feel like the triple digits in many spots. we're going to break records as well. lots of heat across the country on this monday. we're looking at 102 in wichita. 100 in little rock. it's going to feel like 109 once you factor in humidity. temperatures near 100 in birmingham. look at the southeast as well. temperatures into the upper 90s in portions of the southeast. brunswick 92. factor in humidity, it will feel like 99. heat in place wednesday, thursday, friday. t triple digits tomorrow in memphis, atlanta, tallahassee. you factor in humidity, it will feel like 100 to 105. as we looktowards wednesday, thursday, friday, we still the

dallas. hot ones again into the upper midwest and the plains as well. 102 in omaha. 98 in kansas city. all right, that's your monday forecast. >> all right, michelle, see you very soon. if you're heading to chicago, don't miss the chance to snap a selfie at millennium park. the bean, one of the city's most beloved attractions, is back after nearly a year of renovations since last august, construction limiting access to the sculpture. the city has added new stairs, accessible ramps, and a waterproofing system, making it a better experience for visitors. coming up, chacarra richardson punching a ticket to paris. bringing the negro leagues back into the fold.

baseball legend reggie jackson reflects on that time. d frizz could be damaged hair that can't retain moisture. new pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner, with first-of-its-kind melting pro-v pearls... locks in moisture to repair 6 months of damage in one wash, without weigh down. guaranteed or your money back! for resilient, healthy-looking hair... if you know, you know it's pantene. (♪♪) (♪♪) refresh your senses with a kick of citrus flavor. do the dew. i thought i was sleeping ok... but i was waking up so tired. then i tried new zzzquil sleep nasal strips. their four—point lift design opens my nose for maximum air flow. so, i breathe better. and we both sleep better. and stay married.

♪ last week, baseball's black pioneers were honored at redwood field in alabama. it was the pregame comments of one of those legends that illustrate how far the game and society has come in the years since he played. nbc's valerie castro has more on the resonant words of mr. october. >> coming back here is not easy. >> reporter: painful revelations from baseball legend reggie jackson about racism and discrimination he experienced during his professional baseball career. reflecting on the past ahead of a game between the san francisco giants and st. louis cardinals thursday night. >> i walked into restaurants, and they would point at me and said [ bleep ] can't eat here. i would go to a hotel, and they said [ bleep ] can't stay here. we went to charlie finlay's country club for a welcome home dinner, and they pointed me out

with the "n" word. "he can't come in here." >> reporter: the emotional moment unfolding at the historic rick wood field in birmingham, alabama, former home of the black barons of the historic negro leagues and the birmingham a's where jackson got his start. this year the mlb honoring the field's history with a tribute game on fox. but for jackson, the history here is a hurtful one. >> the racism that i played here -- when i played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled. >> reporter: the 78-year-old hall of famer known for his hitting in the postseason -- >> there was only one mr. october, reggie jackson. >> reporter: -- played for five teams, including the oakland athletics and new york yankees from 1967 to 1987, slugging 563 home runs, landing him among mlb legends. >> there it goes! >> reporter: the right fielder starting his major league career

just three years after the last of the jim crow laws were overturned, facing discrimination even after retiring. >> he has asked for jobs in baseball, major league, minor league, doesn't matter. reggie jackson has been told there is no place in baseball, at least for now, for mr. october. >> reporter: the five-time world champion crediting his teammates and managers for supporting him through the trauma of enduring hate speech on a regular basis. >> fortunately, i had a manager in johnny mcnamara that, if i couldn't eat in a place, nobody would eat. we'd get food to travel. if i couldn't stay in a hotel, they'd drive to the next hotel and find a place where i could stay. >> reporter: jackson recalling feeling threatened even while in the safety of a trusted teammate. >> i slept on their couch three, four nights a week for about a month and a half. finally, they were threatened that they would burn the apartment complex down unless i got out. >> reporter: now, years later, speaking his truth. >> i wouldn't wish it on anyone.

>> reporter: the clip getting millions of views on x. athletes and journalists chiming in, urging their followers to pay attention to the experience shared by so many black americans in jackson's generation. his message and legacy hitting far beyond the outfield. >> if it wasn't for the willie mays, the jackie robinsons, the reggie jacksons, the three of us wouldn't have an opportunity to play. >> we love you, reg. >> our thanks to valerie for that great report. the fastest woman in the world officially making a run for the gold. >> let's see who's going to paris! it wasn't the best start from sha'carri richardson. now sha'carri starts to wind up, she goes past jefferson, sha'carri richardson! >> sha'carri richardson qualifying for her first olympic game saturday. the track superstar took the top

spot in the women's final. richardson was not allowed to compete in tokyo after testing positive for thc. on the men's side, noah lyles punched his own ticket to paris after missing out on qualifying for tokyo. lyles won the trial this year with a time of 9.83 seconds. lots of fast people there. still to come, with a record number of americans expected to hit the road this summer, there is some good news for your wallet. a downward trend in travel prices. that's straight ahead. my personal price plan? yeah, your price... it's amazing. well you're the one who suggested bundling home and auto, you bundlin' bundler. hey, who was all about gettin' themselves an affordable price? (♪♪) i was! ...i called our agent. bundling. just another way to save with the personal price plan. it's true. like a good neighbor, state farm is there. so rich. so indulgent.

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now that we're kind of a whole week into summer, more or less, some welcoming news for you if you're hoping to take a vacation. brian cheung explains why this season, traveling actually getting cheaper. >> reporter: cristina's family of six loves taking outdoor vacations. >> as long as i can keep them occupied to where they collapse in bed at the end of the day, i call that a win. >> reporter: now she's getting

ready for this summer's getaway. >> i'm up for pretty much anything as long as it doesn't cost that much. >> reporter: this year it will actually cost less. >> this summer is the best summer for domestic and international travel post-pandemic. we've seen a full recovery in prices across flights, accommodations, and rental cars. >> reporter: domestic airfares are down 6%, by an average of almost $20 compared to last year. same with rental car prices at your destination. in orlando, daily rate down $10 per day. fueling that car cheaper with gas prices down over 12 cents nationwide. hotel rates in line with last year. those savings helping to pay for fun that may be more expensive. dining out as well as concert and movie tickets all pricier than this time last year. ashby choosing to road trip to take advantage of those gas prices. and because of a love of the outdoors and a tight budget, choosing to camp and cook. >> the restaurants, even fast food, the prices are astronomical right now.

>> reporter: experts say for those still planning, avoid the peak holidays like july fourth and labor day. try to travel midweek. >> if you're going somewhere domestic, you'll save about $50 per ticket if you can fly on a tuesday or wednesday. >> reporter: cooling travel prices a welcome reprieve in a hot, hot summer. brian cheung, nbc news. all right, when we come back, one woman made history in houston over the weekend, showing us it's never too late to follow your dreams. plus there's a potential new y treat sleep apnea, and it's a popular drug you might not expect. ♪♪ [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. 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

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healing can look like. nbc maya eaglin spoke with one organization in new york city that's tackling the important issue in a creative way. >> i have come from a shelter, i'm not afraid to say that. in a station with my suitcase, i don't know where to go. >> reporter: anastasia and divine i are with "girl be heard" a nonprofit providing resources that have helped thousands of young women. ♪ who's had it harder ♪ >> reporter: the program encourages girls to express themselves using poetry, dance, music, and acting. a group of them created a show called "rise: the pursuit of utopia." >> when you don't have people who really are there and you would like -- to tell you, "i'm proud of you, you've got it, girl." i have that now, but i didn't have that before. >> reporter: according the department of housing and urban development, of the 650,000

people experiencing homelessness in 2023, were half about people of color. research shows racial disparities in mental health, with black people making up 13% of the u.s. population but nearly 20% of people living with mental illness are black. suicides disproportionately affecting black young women. talk to me about your mental health journeys. >> i did go through a lot of depression. i had lost a lot of my family members and a lot of my friends. so it was very tough to deal with my mind. no matter how much, like, i've been through or, like, things that have tried to stop me, i've never let it. there's something in my spirit that is called perseverance. that's something i know can't be taken away through. >> reporter: the program supports girls from all types of backgrounds. >> the reality is the community has a lot to do with the amount of validation and the amount of support that they could be

giving young people. >> welcome to the show! >> reporter: cynthia renta is the executive director of girl be heard. for her improving confidence and mental health is personal. >> i lost a very close friend to sui suicide. a beautiful black woman artist in the community. i want to definitely emphasize the importance of seeking clinical help with mental health issues, but also promoting the power of community around creating spaces of safety and inspiration and healing. >> reporter: maya eaglin, nbc news. all right, thanks for starting you

♪ communities across the country afte