a violent weekend. ten people hurt in columbus, ohio, after an early-morning

shooting. in arkansas, police have identified a suspect in a grocery store shooting that left four dead. overseas, israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu signaling the war in gaza could soon be entering a new phase with a shift in focus toward lebanon. the summer sizzle still bearing down on much of the united states. nearly 100 million are under heat alerts as tornado threats stretch from the midwest to the northeast. meteorologist michelle grossman tracking the latest for us. cyber attacks targeting car dealerships nationwide. how it's forcing consumers to pump the brakes on purchases. and the pooches with faces only their owners could love. meet the beloved pup newly crowned the world's ugliest dog. it's monday, june 24th. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm richard lui. new update xws last week's fatal

mass shooting in arkansas. state police giving a detailed at account of the attack that left four dead in a grocery store on friday. one of the victims rendering aid to another before she was killed, calling it one of the most selfless acts he'd ever seen. police also 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. >> while a suspected gunman, travis eugene posey, is currently facing four counts of capital murder, he could face the death penalty if convicted. in columbus, ohio, ten people were shot in the city's arch district early sunday morning. one of the victims is in critical condition, though all are expected to recover. police had asked for the public's help did finding a suspect who got away in a white honda civic. according to our columbus

affiliate, a man claiming tobe that driver turned himself in and was charged with obstructing official business. today marks two years since the supreme court overturned roe v. wade and made abortion rights into a central issue in elections nationwide. the second anniversary of the dobbs decision sure to be a talking point in this week's high stakes presidential debate. dasha burns looks at how president biden and former president trump are preparing. >> reporter: as debate night approaches, a contrast in preparation. former president trump campaigning in philadelphia. >> i think this is crappy. these people know better than anybody what they want. >> reporter: and on the stump. >> nobody's going to be watching the debate on thursday right, night? will anybody be watching? >> reporter: sources tell abc news is campaigning is his debate prep, along with informal policy sessions with advisers and members of congress focusing on inflation and immigration. >> how's the debate prep going? >> reporter: while president biden is hunkered down at camp david for intensive prep

sessions led by former chief of staff rod klain that will include mock debates. playing the part of michael trump is storm white house counsel bob bauer. the president looking to focus on abortion rights and what his campaign says is trump's record of undermining democracy. trump saying his yet to be named running mate will be at the debate and that he's made his choice but hasn't told anyone who it will be. >> have you decided on a vice president? >> in my mind, yeah. >> reporter: sources tell nbc news the focus has been on three top contenders. florida senator marco rubio ran against trump in 2016. >> what we are dealing with here, my friends, is a con artist. he is a con artist. >> reporter: ohio senator j.d. vance adamantly opposed trump. >> i'm a never trump guy, i never liked him. >> reporter: north dakota

governor doug burgum. >> would you do business with donald trump? >> i don't think so. >> why? >> i think it's important you're judged by the company you keep. >> you wouldn't do business with him? >> no, i wouldn't. >> reporter: sources say the campaign wants a candidate who could be the future of the republican party. >> that report. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu is indicating the war in gaza could soon be entering a new phase. he told israel tv sunday night that the intensive phase of israel's war on hamas and rauf is "about to end." he also clarified it does not keen the conflict itself is winding down. he reiterated his promise not to end the war before hamas is destroyed. forces may focus north to the border with lebanon where fighting between the idf and the iran-backed group hezbollah has intensified in recent months. turning to weather where parts of iowa and south dakota

were struck by his toric flooding over the weekend. a combination of heavy rain and overflowing rivers leaving a massive property damage and at least one death in south dakota saturday. it comes as much the country is recovering from a streak of severe weather during the first six months of the year. as nbc meteorologist bill karins reports, these dissass truss patterns are wreaking physical and financial devastation across the country. >> shouldn't we get away from the windows? >> reporter: tornado outbreaks hitting states like florida and nebraska this spring. >> the whole neighborhood's gone. >> reporter: wildfires in california and new mexico. and now an early-season tropical storm bringing heavy rain to mexico and texas. >> rain poured in. >> reporter: intense weather around the country wreaking financial havoc. already costing more than $25 billion this year through mid-may, noaa says. not even halfway through the year. the data from the weather agency shows the country might be on

track to match or even pass the cost of 28 individual billion-dollar weather disasters last year with the most expensive season still to come. >> that's the story of the summer of 2024 is we're seeing extreme weather in areas that are not used to it. >> reporter: there's worry fema could run out of money by the end of the summer, something former fema administrator craig fugate says is not likely, though the hot weather could drain more taxpayer money. fema tells us in a statement it continues to work to ensure sufficient funding and support life-saving and life-sustaining activities. >> fema's having to go back to congress for additional appropriations, but we're also now seeing gaps that the program cannot address. the insurance model is breaking down. increasingly, insurance is becoming unavailable or unaffordable. >> reporter: and that can hit homeowners hard. insurance prices spiking faster than inflation the last few

years, soaring an estimated 20% from 2021 to 2023 due to climate catastrophes. in fire and flood-prone areas like california, louisiana, and florida, some insurers are even pulling out, leaving homeowners with limited and costly options. >> i think this increase in premiums is inevitable, right? insurance companies have to make money. some places are just in areas where the risk is growing quickly. >> bill karins, thank you for that report. let's go to nbc meteorologist michelle grossman. he's talking about what we have to look forward to. the next couple of days in front of us, the big number over the weekend was 100 million. what are we at? >> we've dropped down to 44 million. >> we'll take that. >> i know, right? that is good news to start out this monday. good to see you, richard. that number has come down because of the cold front that came through the mid-atlantic, the northeast. that heat wave is broken, which is good news. we're still looking at 44 million across the country,

throughout the plains, into the southeast, especially where you see those oranges and also the pink. that's where we're seeing those heat numbers into the triple digits. we will break records once again. the heat does continue, but likely that number has come down. triple digits in dallas, little rock, also wichita. once you factor in the humidity, it will feel warmer like that. feel like 103 in sioux falls. 110 is what it will feel like in new orleans. we're not out of the woods in terms of the heat alerts across the country, but we are looking at temperatures once again tomorrow into the triple digits in memphis. 109 in baton rouge. feeling like 96 in atlanta. we're looking at excessive heat in the south, especially into the triple digits in dallas on s

southeast. 100 in dallas. triple digits in portions of the plains. we're looking at 101 in omaha today. all right, that's your monday forecast. >> michelle, thank you. we'll stick with 44. back in a minute with 18 irg story. from wounded warrior to making his debut on one of the most iconic stages in the country. 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. well, june is ptsd awareness month, and this morning we're hearing from one marine veteran who has battled back from wounds of war both visible and invisible. he's reaching out to his fellow veterans from one of the biggest stages in the country music industry. elsa barber has his story. >> thank you, ladies and gentlemen. >> reporter: it's the moment saul gonzalez has been waiting decades for, his debut at one of the most iconic music venues in the country, the grand ole opry in nashville, tennessee.

>> this goes out to all you veterans. >> reporter: those veterans, his brothers and sisters in arms. gonzalez joined the marines in the wake of the attacks on 9/11. >> i was in english class in high school, and we watched the twin towers fall. and i knew all of a sudden that we were going to go to war. and i wanted to go do my part. >> reporter: gonzalez was serving as a machine gunner in iraq in 2004 when his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device. >> i'd been in a coma for week. both my lungs collapsed. i almost died a couple of times. and my leg was in shambles. >> reporter: months later, gonzalez and his doctors made the difficult decision to amputate his left leg below the knee. it's now a very physical reminder of the toll of war. but there are mental scars, too. >> i thought it was normal to just go and drink myself to slooen sleep. because i didn't want to think about stuff. i think more than anything, the survivors guilt was the thing that was hardest to deal with.

thinking of all these friends that i'd lost, not just my lieutenant, who was killed in an explosion that took my leg. >> reporter: soon, gonzalez learned to rely on the passion that he'd had since childhood, music, ultimately partnering with the wounded warrior project to play for other veterans across the country. ♪ ♪ and i kno >> some of those vets were like, "hey, that's awesome, you nailed it on the head, i couldn't have said those words myself." i'm just happy to get to be a part of that and get to give back to an organization that i'm pretty sure, had they not been around, i don't think i'd be around. >> reporter: that passion quickly becoming more than just a pastime. gonzalez moving to nashville to pursue a career in music and appearing on "america's got talent" in 2014. ♪ ain't no sunshine since she's

gone ♪ ♪ this town just ain't no home any time she goes away ♪ >> reporter: just last month, that offer of a lifetime. >> making his opry debut, let's give him a warm welcome. >> reporter: gonzalez taking the stage with an orange song written after one of his fellow veterans called him a hero. ♪ i'm not trying to say you're wrong ♪ ♪ but heroes ain't the ones who make the home ♪ ♪ no no ♪ >> reporter: the opry crowd giving gonzalez a standing ovation. >> thank you so much. god bless. it's hard to explain that moment, to be totally honest. i'm not special by any means. i'm just a normal dude. and some of the people that i served with that didn't come

home were those exceptional people. >> reporter: gonzalez now working toward a full-time music career, even playing a little bit of his latest original about being away from his family, playing music on the road. ♪ these nights can get so lonely ♪ ♪ so i'm starting to hate the thing i love the most ♪ >> reporter: no matter where his music career takes him, gonzalez says he'll always make time to serve his fellow veterans. for those who may be struggling, he hopes you'll rec member this >> this world is better with you in it. don't give up. >> great story. thank you so much, ellison barber, for that report. still to come, a popular weight loss drug might do more than help you drop a few pounds. how it alsheo lped treat sleep alabama apnea. slamming the brakes at car

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cyber criminals are targeting car dealerships nationwide now, and it's impacting everything from how to buy a new ride to fixing vehicles you already own. here's jesse kirsch. >> reporter: if you're trying to buy or service a car, you might have to pump the brakes because of cyber attacks potentially slowing down business at thousands of car dealers. >> address, vehicle price, customer name, that kind of stuff. titling information. obviously you've got to make sure your date of birth, full name are correct. >> reporter: at saab toyota in michigan, normally software from cdk global helps with that information. >> it what is we run all the car deals out of, all the repair orders for service, all the parts orders. >> reporter: in austin town, ohio, justin bradley says his team at jim shorke auto group are using typewriters. >> hand-doing contracts and

paperwork. >> reporter: that means it's been taking longer for customers to buy a car. the challenges arising after software provider cdk global said it experienced two cyber incidents this week and "proactively shut down most of our systems" adding, "we've begun the restoration process. we anticipate the process will take several days to complete." they work with more than 15,000 retail locations in north america. it's not clear how many dealerships are impacted, but cybersecurity expert katie brooks says she's challenges reach beyond the auto industry. >> this incident is part of a growing trend of cyber attacks toward small and medium-sized businesses across the country. it is very much a crime of opportunity and a crime of financial gain. and so if there is money involved, there is the chance that this could happen. >> reporter: brooks says it's too soon to know the impact on things like personal data as the auto industry navigates a bumpy road. jesse kirsch, nbc news.

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jose diaz-balart has a little good news to start your week. >> reporter: talk about senior class. that's 105-year-old virginia hislop, who just graduated from stanford with a master's degree in education. virginia was in the program in 1940 but left when her army soldier husband got called up for world war ii. now, at long last, a diploma. >> my goodness, i've waited a long time. >> reporter: and a long overdue standing ovation. >> i'm so excited to see all the extraordinary futures -- >> reporter: there's another graduate who caught our eye, senior class president mason makuch giving a heartfelt graduation speech in massachusetts. then listen to this. his surprise announcement. >> i want you to reach under your chairs where you'll find a

personal note that i've written for each of you. >> reporter: mason wrote an astonishing 180 letters with inspiring messages like, "i will cherish all our memories." "i am so proud of you." "you are so kind and supportive." thanking each graduate for being a part of his life. and talk about a joyride. look. hundreds of students and staff lined up as far as the eye could see to honor teacher kathy lazinski, who's retiring from baker elementary near boston after 16 years. you see just how much they all loved mrs. l. the emotional sendoff arranged by principal valerie brower-foote, a sweet light after kathy recently lost her

husband. how does that community behind you help mitigate the pain? >> oh, it's very supportive. extremely emotionally supportive. the school is like a family, and they treat each other like family. >> reporter: valerie, have you been surprised at how much reaction there's been? >> we knew it was going to be special. as a school, that's what we do. for each other. kathy certainly deserved it. >> the kids always say, "thank you, mrs. l" at the end of class. i say, "please don't thank me, just treat each other kindly, that's how you thank me." >> jose, thank you for that report. thanks for starting your week with "early today." i'm richard lui. gond have aa

presidential debate. we're live from washington with more about the strategy that president biden and former president trump are