♪ ♪ bracing for beryl. the monster hurricane battering jamaica overnight after leaving a deadly trail of destruction through the caribbean. and the storm now threatening to hit the u.s. our meteorologist angie lassman

tracking its path this morning. a record heat wave fueling wildfire concerns. crews already battling a massive inferno in california that's destroyed homes and forced thousands to evacuate. a legal bombshell in the diddy case. our exclusive on the federal investi investigation. saks is making the ultimate luxury purchase. the mega merger in the works this morning. red, white, and boom. the fourth of july shows to wow the crowds. bring on the fireworks. it's independence day. "early today" starts right now. and good morning. i'm richard lui. hurricane beryl now downgraded to a category 3 storm is barrelling toward the cayman islands. the storm lashing jamaica wednesday, as a category 4, with maximum sustained winds of 140

miles per hour as it blasted past the island nation, uprooting trees, ripping roofs off of homes. beryl's path remains uncertain with texas authorities warning residents in coastal areas to be prepared over the holiday weekend. let's go to nbc's angie lassman. good morning to you. and it is still something to be reckoned with. >> good morning, richard, it indeed is. we're still going to be watching this system, not quite as strong as what it once was. through the weekend it will probably be problematic. category 3 with winds at 125 miles per hour. we're going to see major improvements for the island of jamaica. but we're going to see the cayman islands dealing with a little bit of rain, maybe 4 to 8 inches as we get through today. and then we're going to watch for potential impacts as we get into the next few days as the category 1 likely makes landfall friday and impacts its strength

with land interaction before it reenters the gulf of mexico, likely becoming a hurricane once again before it makes final landfall, potentially texas, mexico. we'll see where around there, right around the border. so brownsville, we'll be watching. notice how wide that cone is. and into monday, still a lot of uncertainty with where it will make landfall, but we'll likely see additional rainfall for folks there as we get into next week. >> hope it doesn't hit those major cities. now to the white house where president biden says nobody is pushing him out of this election. that may be his public stance, but four people familiar with the matter telling nbc news that in private, the president is torn between defiance and acceptance, as he faces calls to step aside. recognizing that blow back from the debate may be too great to overcome. nbc's alice barr has more on the president's efforts to calm his supporters' fears. >> reporter: facing mounting pressure over his future in the

race, president biden and vice president harris meeting with democratic governors. >> we know we have work to do. we know that as we're standing right here, we're behind. >> all of us said we pledged our support to him, because the stakes could not be higher. >> reporter: that, after the president rallied campaign staff in an all-hands call, telling them, quote, i am running, and nobody is pushing me out. the white house press secretary reaffirming that. >> the president is moving forward. he's moving forward as being president. he's moving forward with his campaign. >> reporter: following criticism he was slow to reassure lawmakers. the president speaking with several top democrats, all part of an effort to ease anxieties and tamp down calls for the president to end his reelection bid after that disastrous debate. even close allies frustrated that the public hasn't seen him since. >> he's got to show the person people that he can do this job.

and he can't be wrapped in bubble right now. >> reporter: the number of democratic lawmakers publicly calling to replace mr. biden on the ticket is now growing. texas representative lloyd doggett was the first. >> that process, while it's messy, if it's done in a fair and open way, may do a great deal to restore confidence in the democratic process. >> reporter: a new cnn poll shows vice president harris faring slightly better against trump than biden, though the difference is within the margin of error. and she is underscoring her support. >> joe biden is our nominee. we beat trump once, and we're going to beat him again. period. >> reporter: an embattled nominee, seeking to steady the ship. in washington, alice barr, nbc news. now to the growing tensions along israel's northern border after israel's forces killed a top hezbollah commander in southern lebanon. hezbollah saying it retaliated by firing 100 rockets. let's go to nbc's josh letterman, who joins us live. and who was this commander that

they went after? >> reporter: well, his name is mohamed nima nasser. he was responsible for hezbollah's anti-tank and rocket program that launched those projectiles from southern lebanon into northern israel, where tens of thousands of civilians have to remain evacuated from their homes because of that frequent rocket fire. now we know that this conflict, this tit-for-tat battle between israel and hezbollah has been taking place simultaneously with the war in the gaza strip. and hezbollah says they simply will not stop fighting until there's a cease-fire there. we have heard from hezbollah confirming the death of this senior operative, who is one of the most high-ranking hezbollah to be killed in the last many months. and the militant group says they launched 100 katyusha rockets into israel in retaliation for his killing. but the israeli military says

they were able to intercept many of those rockets. they say others landed in open areas and there were no injuries, but with that not withstanding, there are more concerns about their spiraling into a broader war with israel and hezbollah with the israeli military saying they are prepared to bring lebanon back to the stone age if that's wh what's necessary to keep their people safe. the white house is trying to tamp down tensions, dispatching a senior aide to avert a full on war with israel and hezbollah. new this morning, two sources telling nbc news that sean "diddy" combs is the subject of a federal investigation. a grand jury is hearing evidence which could lead to an indictment for diddy. right now there's no indication that charges are imminent. the u.s. attorney's office and combs' attorney did not respond to request for comment. it comes after a pair of raids on homes the rapper owns in los

angeles and miami. delta is apologizing to passengers served spoiled food on a flight. it forced the amsterdam-bound plane to make an emergency landing in new york. all refused medical attention. it happened during one of the busiest travel weeks on record. aaa estimating nearly 61 million people are hitting the road for the holiday, while nearly 7 million are flying to their fourth of july destinations. and a lot of those travelers dealing with scorching temperatures along the way. in the west, the triple-digit heat is fueling a massive wildfire in northern california, forcing thousands to evacuate. liz kreutz is there. >> reporter: a massive wildfire in northern california, burning out of control amid triple-digit temperatures. the thompson fire spreading across more than 3500 acres with zero containment. as tens of thousands scramble to

safety ahead of the july 4th holiday, forced to evacuate with the fire bearing down on residential neighborhoods outside the city of oroville. >> i'm a little worried we may not have a place to go back to. >> reporter: several homes and structures destroyed, as firefighters work round the clock to battle the fast-moving blaze. flames burning on either side of the oroville dam spillway. crews are using lake oroville to try to fight the fire. you can see multiple helicopters are coming to the lake, picking up water to attack the fire from the air. the inferno one of several burning across the west with intense heat and heavy winds creating conditions ripe for fire. what's the biggest challenge right now? >> i would say the biggest challenge is obviously the conditions. the high temperatures. those low humidities and without a doubt the wind is going to be the biggest concern. >> reporter: this as 120 million people are facing heat alerts as a dangerous heat wave scorches large swaths of the country.

in phoenix, where temperatures hit 113, the heat wave turning deadly. a 10-year-old boy died after being airlifted from a trail where authorities say he was hiking with family. so far this year, 13 people have died from heat-related incidents in maricopa county with another 162 still under investigation. back in california, the relentless conditions just getting started, with no relief expected through the holiday weekend, leaving the region on edge. >> all right, liz, thanks for that report. let's get over now to angie lassman, and angie, there are dozens of wildfires in california. that's just one of them. and she was saying the heat doesn't look like it's going to let up through the weekend. >> yeah, it isn't. one thing to note. we've got really dry conditions, warm conditions, and it's fourth of july. we often see wildfires being sparked on this day specifically, and we've got the conditions for sure. the prolonged heat is what we're concerned about. not just warm, record-setting

potential but next week we see high heat and humidity from all the tropical moisture ushering in to parts of the gulf coast. 90s are possible with feels-like temperatures into the triple digits. actual triple digits expected for phoenix with 115 tomorrow, and it stays hot into the southeast. mid-90s for birmingham. keep that in mind. we'll see some severe weathe possible ar cr cloudy conditions today, a high of 87. we head to the upper 80s for both cleveland and detroit, too. and that's a look at your forecast, richard. thank you. >> love your maps. i was just saying, it looks like a horseshoe of heat across the country. >> you're right. i see what you did there. >> it's early in the morning.

what else am i going to do? "early today" is back in 60 seconds with a mega merger rocking the retail world. and good news for shoppers. why more chains are bagging why more chains are bagging self-check out lanes so, i breathe better. and we both sleep better. and stay married. that grimy film on your teeth?. dr. g? (♪♪) it's actually the buildup of plaque bacteria which can cause cavities. most toothpastes quit working in minutes. but crest pro-health's antibacterial fluoride protects all day. it stops cavities before they start... crest. 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. alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer.

say hello to your fairy godmother alice, and long-lasting gain scent beads. part of the irresistible scent collection from gain. >> well, saks fifth avenue doing a little bit of its own shopping, making the ultimate luxury purchase. theyare acquiring neiman marcus in a multi-million deal that could reshape the luxury landscape. i guess the question, and there's many, is this good for customers too? >> good morning. as were you saying, the parent company of saks fifth avenue is buying neiman marcus for $2.65 billion. the two department store groups have negotiating for months to create this big powerhouse in luxury. interestingly, two other names

associated with that deal weren't necessarily connected with luxury. that's amazo amazon ann and sa especially when it comes to technology. the board approved the deal, and we're expecting an announcement to come imminently. we've seen a slow down in luxury demand as well as the luxury groups themselves matching up real estate, premium locations across the world in milan, new york, and paris.d paris. it could help fend off some of the competition. >> salesforce is the interesting partner in that. that's for another conversation. charlotte, thank you so much. hate'em or love'em. we've all had to use a self-checkout lane over the years. but lately, more stores are bringing back the human touch. brian cheung tells us why. >> reporter: do it yourself.

that's the idea behind self-checkout lanes. a way to skip the pleasantries and get out of the store quickly. >> fast, easy, convenient. >> reporter: but more and more stores are now hitting cancel on those self-checkout machines. dollar general says it has pulled self-checkout from about 12,000 stores. and 5 below hoping to eliminate self-checkout. both companies saying theft is the main reason as 15% of users confess to purposely stealing. >> they're pretending to scan something and just bagging it anyway. it's one area where retailers are noticing too much of that. >> reporter: then, there's the user experience. for shoppers, zephyr checkout is supposed to offer the convenience of just scanning and then going, but sometimes it ends up being more trouble than its worth. >> please wait for assistance. >> definitely where i have to wait for someone to come in and

fix it, and it's just not worth the time. >> reporter: the solution, bringing sales associates back. >> it's more profitable for the retailer to pay employees to manage checkout than it is to support the machines where they're probably getting less than accurate kcheckouts from consumers. >> reporter: self-checkout isn't going away, though. it's on the rise at grocery stores. if your store decided to take out all the -- >> i would be disappointed. >> reporter: a battle of humans versus machines playing out in the checkout line. still to come, the nhl puts a crack in the glass ceiling, and nathan's is about to crown a new top dog. more on the contenders for this nern tradition on july 4th. trad. . . . . . . . .

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joey endorsed a rival brand. it hit a problem with exclusivity, which has always been in place. our door is always open. we want him there. we welcome him back next year if he wants to come. >> so that's why joey chestnut was not at the official weigh-in. instead we got our first look at the contenders who are going to try to be primed enough to take the mustard belt from the 16-time champion, well, he's not going to be there, so he will. it includes nick wea, who's mar to miki sudo. and that is an interesting couple. by the way, the record for women, 48 and a half hot dogs. >> no. >> i didn't know could you have a half hot dog. >> 48? half or not. >> but joey's record, 76. >> now i'm ill. now i'm ill. >> that's vomiting.

>> kne jessica campbell was officially named as assistant coach for the seattle kraken. she becomes the first full-time coach in the league and previously served for the firebirds, their ahl affiliate. she's excited to do her part behind the bench, and she doesn't want to be the only one of her kind. and i'm sure this is just the start. they hired her not because she's a woman but because she has great qualities of a coach. >> she's certainly putting a crack-in the glass ceiling. >> i see what you did there. when we come back, a possible side effect to weight possible side effect to weight loss drugs [announcer] introducing allison's plaque psoriasis. she thinks her flaky, gray patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill

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fireworks. joo valerie castro tells us why. >> reporter: we visited colorado to see a big move to drones for the july 4th celebration. but this year, they're bringing back good old-fashioned fireworks. >> drones just didn't cut it for the fourth of july. >> yeah, they left us wanting, i would say. it didn't feel like america. >> reporter: and they're not the only ones ditching drones. along with gypsum, redondo beach, california and galveston, texas. across the country, more towns are switching back. >> fireworks can capture attention like little else. they're fun. >> reporter: drones had been gaining in popularity. they're safer, easier to operate and do things fireworks just can't. >> it really is a unique story-telling media. >> reporter: sky elements is behind some of the biggest and more innovative drone displays

in the country. are drones better than fireworks? >> i would say they're different. >> reporter: but fireworks fans say there's no competition. >> fireworks, they touch on all the senses. >> reporter: phil grucci is part of the family responsible for fireworks for inaugurations and olympics. >> there's the sense of sight, smell. you feel it. it's vision. >> reporter: every show starts on the screen. how long does it take you to design something like that? >> about an hour a minute. >> reporter: then comes the setup. is this the bigger version of a roman candle? >> yeah, it's pretty much a commercial version of what you can go buy at a local fireworks. >> reporter: but much more powerful? >> yeah. >> reporter: and when the sunsets? three, two, one.

the show begins. the drones aren't going away. and now they're getting better, with fireworks on drones. >> >> they both can do some things that the other cannot do. that's why we really love them to come together. >> reporter: this year the company is testing new pyro drones that bring the best of both together. a new patriotic battle in the skies. for the oohs and ahs of americans. valerie castro, nbc news, new york. and thank you for starting your holiday with "early today." i'm richard lui. go out and have a great fourth of july.

hurricane beryl now a category 3 storm, as it heads to the cayman islands after battering jamaica with winds up to 140 miles per hour. with the