beryl steams ahead. the powerful hurricane continues to tear through the caribbean ahead of an expected landfall in

mexico. nbc meteorologist michelle grossman has the latest. a seismic shift in the uk. voters decisively ousting the conservative party in one of the biggest election landslides in two centuries. full team coverage on the future for britain. president biden putting on a brave face for america's birthday as questions continue to swirl a week after his disastrous debate performance. and what his opponent is saying about it as well. what's more american than the fourth of july? how about a holiday sale? find out the deals and savings offered by retailers to lure wary consumers for summer shopping. and you best believe in g.o.a.t. stories. because mickki sudo is riding hers. how joey chestnut spent his holiday. it's friday, july 5th. "early today" starts right now. and good morning. i'm richard lui.

hurricane beryl continues its deadly onslaught in the caribbean, now claiming two lives in jamaica, both victims in their 20s. this raises the death toll to nine. and after tearing through the cayman islands, the storm restrengthened to a category 3. it's heading for mexico now with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. conditions are expected to deteriorate shortly in the yucatan peninsula and beryl could bring a 4 to 6-foot storm surge. sam brock starts us off. >> reporter: hurricane beryl continuing its tear through the caribbean. now just past grand cayman. the massive storm shaking trees and churning waves. this video taken by noaa inside the hurricane this week, revealing the storm's power. hurricane beryl battering jamaica, where officials already confirm two deaths in the country, both victims in their 20s, leaving the nation reeling. >> waking up this morning to all of this is like overwhelming. >> reporter: on treasure beach, a popular seaside e oasis, ja

ma oasis, jamaican officials tell us the damage is widespread. just to get out here, trees carving up roadways. power lines in every direction and obliterated homes. homes blown, you're saying the roofs blown everywhere. >> yeah. >> reporter: all of it leading to this. it's hard to describe the magnitude of the loss here. but here's an example. this is a hotel with a hundred-plus staff members. that is one business on one stretch of street on treasure beach. and it's not just big business feeling the pain. what do you feel emotionally, when you look at your business? >> i feel so devastated. >> reporter: herman runs a fruit stand right in front of the home that he shares with pedrona. which is uninhabitable now. >> i was praying out loud. i was calling to jesus. asking him to calm the storm. >> reporter: jamaicans feeling

the pain of a storm that didn't even make landfall but is likely to disrupt their lives for months. how long do you think it will take to get back to where you were? >> where we were? that's a hard one. >> repo we're going to turn to a major political shakeup across the pond in the uk. the labour party is poised to take power. keir starmer is set to replace rishi sunak for prime minister. let's go to claudio lavanga. how can how did the uk wake up today? >> reporter: before the election all the polls were suggesting labour will a healthy lead, but in the end, it turned out to be a landslide victory for labour, that will almost certainly make keir starmer, the leader of the labour party as the next uk

prime minister. let's take a listen. >> tonight people here and around the country have spoken. and they're ready for change. to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service. the change begins right here. because this is your democracy. your community and your future. you have voted. it is now time for us to deliver. >> reporter: now the latest exit polls richard suggest that labour is about to win or poised to win 410 out of 650 seats in the lower house of parliament, while the conservatives are projected to win only 120, which will be the worst defeat in the conservative party's history since its founding in 1843. now early on friday morning, the outgoing conservative prime minister rishi sunak conceded and accepted responsibility for

the massive loss. later on friday afternoon, keir starmer is expected to be received at buckingham palace by king charles iii before he's appointed officially as the next prime minister of the united kingdom. >> what a swing. imagine if in the u.s. congress we saw it swing by 100 seats in one election. that might be a similar comparison. turning to the latest developments in the war in gaza, president biden spending part of the fourth of july speaking to israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu on the latest iteration of a cease-fire proposal. a senior u.s. official telling nbc news there's been a breakthrough on a critical impasse on negotiations and that israel's military operation in the city of rafah has put new pressure on hamas to make a deal. if a deal is reached, it would bring an end to nine months of fighting in the region and ensure the release of the remaining hostages that have been held captive since the october 7 attacks.

last night president biden was joined by the vice president and their families to watch the july 4th fireworks over our nation's capital. the president taking a moment to celebrate, even as he faces increasing scrutiny after his poor debate performance. nbc's brie jackson joins us from washington, d.c. good morning to you. the president has a busy schedule, if you will, today. there's that network interview. >> reporter: that's right, good morning, richard. sources tell nbc news that the next few days of president biden's campaign are critical. publicly, though, the president is insisting that he is going to stay in this race and win reelection. privately, he and the vice president have been meeting with top allies. we're learning more about the white house meeting with more than 20 democratic governors. california's gavin newsom confirming the president said he may limit events in the evening to get more sleep. two sources also say the president told the governors that he saw a doctor after the debate. and that he was fine.

in a new radio interview, president biden said this about his debate performance. >> i had a bad night. and the fact of the matter is that, you know, it was, i screwed up. i made a mistake. that's 90 minutes on stage. look what i've done in 3.5 years. >> reporter: former president trump is seizing on this vulnerable moment for the biden campaign. sharing a video making false claims that the president is quitting the race. >> he just quit, you know. he's quitting the race. >> is that right? >> yep, i got lhim out, and tha means we have kamala, i think she's going to be better. she's so bad. >> reporter: the biden campaign condemning those comments, saying no, donald, what is bad is running on a platform of your revenge and retribution. president biden has that high-stakes tv interview today and is expected to speak at a

press conference next week. richard? >> this will be like debate two if you will, people watching this with very keen eyes tonight. thank you brie. the fbi is investigating a deadly shooting in yellowstone national park. park officials say rangers were responding to reports of an armed person making threats at canyon village in the central area of the park. they exchanged gunfire with that person who was killed. a ranger was also hurt but is expected to be okay. neither the suspect nor the ranger have been identified. a busy july 4th beach day in southern texas, disrupt bid shdisrupted by shark attacks. three people were bitten, two needed to go to the hospital. a shark was spotted and pushed out to deeper water. the attack coming the same day a 21-year-old man was bitten by a shark in knee-deep water in florida. crews in northern california have made much-needed progress

getting the thompson fire under control. overnight, officials say the fire is nearly 30%s nearly 30% . at least four first responders have been injured, with multiple structures destroyed in the process. while the winds may died down, the heat still rising. over 140 million americans today still under a heat alert. the national weather service warning of a prolonged, extreme heat event for up to 12 days. that's the longest in 18 years. let's go straight to more on the heat, hurricane beryl and how that's tracking. meteorologist michelle grossman. how many days, michelle? >> of this extreme heat? we're going to see it into early next week if not a hillittle bi longer. then we are going to look at the heat and humidity continuing throughout the southwest. we're tracking hurricane beryl. that is a major hurricane so early in the season.

winds at 115 miles per hour. it's moving west at 16 miles per hour. and we can see it's making impact in portions of the yucatan peninsula today. that will be the story all throughout this friday. right now it's 90 miles east-southeast of tulum, mexico. this remains a very strong storm, an overachiever. and we're going to see it strengthen over the gulf. from hurricane warnings to watches, tropical storm warnings and watches, and it will cross the yucatan peninsula today. it will weaken as it does with the terrain. then it will move across the gulf. the gulf is warm for this time of year. so we expect it to strengthen to a category 1 storm from a tropical storm status. that increase will happen on sunday. then we will see where the landfall will happen. somewhere between northeastern mexico and southern texas. regardless of where it does end up, we're going to see heavy rain and high winds in portions of ,

and another hot day in the southwest. phoenix today, 116. all right, that's your friday forecast. >> all right, michelle, thank you. "early today" is back in one minute with a preview of the june jobs report, and how can you score big on summer sales and which deals are worth waiting for. which deals are wor waiting for. in. so, we switched to tide free & gentle. it cleans better, and doesn't leave behind irritating residues. and it's gentle on her skin. tide free and gentle liquid is epa safer choice certified. it's gotta be tide. 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.

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to shop, but many consumers are spend less. retailers are trying some big sales to reel folks in. brian cheung has more. >> reporter: shoppers on the hunt for a deal hoping for a steal in fourth of july y j sal. >> they are pulling back, being more conservative. >> reporter: with wage growth outpacing inflation, signs that americans might still be willing to at least take a look at sales. retailers are advertising discounts to help shoppersp sho indulge in a hlittle outdoor fu. big ticket items like patio furniture sets up to 55% off. but for other items, experts say wait. >> i would really pass on tech right now, and i would pass on back to school. you may see a deal here and

there for back to school. but really the best back to school deals will be kicking in with the bigger sales a little later in july. >> reporter: those likely to come from target and walmart slated to kick off next week as well as amazon's prime day set for july 16 and 17. if you can wait even longer, the best discounts on summer wear and goods would be at the end of the season. and for electronics, the sweet spot is black friday and cyber monday. but always make sure you're getting the best deals. how do you make sure you're getting the best deal? >> i like to use yahoo shopping or google shopping. enter the name of the item, and you'll see all of the available deals and prices in one place. >> reporter: brian cheung, nbc news, new york. the season's unrelenting heat could make it a cool summer for your health. we'll be right back with what you need to know to protect yourself from the effects of rising temperatures. effects of rising temperatures. and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort

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we're back now with an important warning about the extreme heat. the american heart association is sending out a reminder that high temperatures can add stress to your heart. urging people to be prepared with life-saving training. here's nbc's alice barr. >> reporter: this fourth of july week when the sun is out and the grill going, a reminder to heed your heart. because as temperatures rise, so does the risk of cardiac events. >> you tend to get dehydrated. and there are other factors that are related to heat that put more stress on the body. >> reporter: past president of the american heart association, dr. gordon thomas ellie reporting to more research that heat-related cardiovascular deaths may more than double in the coming decades with the effects of climate change. >> the more extremes of temperature but also the population's aging. so the number of people at risk is increasing. >> reporter: those with preexisting conditions have the greatest risk. but everyone should be alert and be prepared.

>> after your 30s, take a breather. >> reporter: that's especially true in schools. and sum aremer break offers a ce to gear up for a rare but devastating event. >> when she was 6 years old, she suffered a cardiac arrest. >> reporter: she collapsed in her school gym class. >> the school had an emergency medical plan in place. so they knew what to do. they knew how to perform cpr. >> reporter: but that is not always the case. so joe teamed up with the american heart association to press congress to pass legislation, mandating aeds and cardiac response plans in avenue sch school. >> survival goes up to 70%. >> now she's a junior in college livi living her life. >> reporter: while her family

lives out a mission about an issue closest to their hearts. when we come back, a popular salad celebrates a big milestone. and can you build a shark but not a bigger boat. t a bigger bo. (♪♪) greatness hurts. but with care... ...you can keep chasing it. that's tylenol. that's care without limits. so, i didn't think i needed swiffer, until, i saw how easily it picked up my hair... every time i dried it! it only takes a minute. look at that! the heavy duty cloths are extra thick, for amazing trap & lock. even for his hair. wow. you'll love swiffer or your money back! feeling ughh from a backed up gut? ughh. miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go. free your gut and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try mirafiber gummies. ♪♪

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but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as seven days. now i can help again feel the difference with nervive. and here's what's making headlines this morning. a great grandmother in pennsylvania celebrating a huge win in many ways. taking home a $5 million pried f prize /* prize /* lego debuted a film recreation of the spielberg blockbuster. it comes with all your favorite characters, the pieces to recreate the orca boat and the shark. a 75-year-old swimmer swam

in paris' seine river. just hours after diving in, authority released data showing the water quality has improved over the past week raising hopes olympic swimmers and events can actually take place there. tijuana, mexico marking the anniversary of the caesar salad. congratulations. we'll be right back. we'll be ri. whoa! how'd you get your teeth so white? you gotta use the right toothpaste! dr. c?! ♪♪ not all toothpastes whiten the same. crest 3d white removes 100% more stains for a noticeably whiter smile. new personal best. crest. sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪ camilla tried the new scent of gain relax flings

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helping his fellow service members with ptsd to enjoy the celebration with fireworks that are completely silent. here's gabriela fallen. >> i was a captain, served in miramar in fire squadron two. served in the golf during operation southern watch. >> reporter: jess hill was honorably discharged and serves as commander for the veterans of foreign wars post in springdale. he sees veterans struggle with ptsd frequently. >> i have some that have committed suicide. they just couldn't deal with it. >> reporter: he says the fourth of july can be a hard time for vets who live with ptsd. and while medication is available, it can only do so much. >> usually veterans, when they go to a fireworks show, they know it, they expect it. but when they're sitting at

home, and a big boom goes off outside it triggers it. >> reporter: a fireworks stand in fayetteville is working to bring the joy of fireworks back to veterans. it's launched a new type of firework called silent salute. it gives off the same experience while being completely silent. >> it's the fourth of july. we feel like the veterans should be able to celebrate and watch fireworks with us. they are the reason we celebrating to begin with. >> reporter: he feels like this gives veterans another chance to enjoy the holiday that celebrates the independence they fought for. >> that would allow veterans to, you know, share fireworks with their grandkids or with their kids. they can go outside and light them themselves. >> reporter: his advice for vets struggling with ptsd is to reach out and not go through it alone. >> don't go through this alone. reach out to your local vfw.

they can help you. in the absence of the g.o.a.t. of hot dog eating, patrick bertoletti stepped up on thursday. >> teddy roosevelt would be proud at this moment. pat betrtoletti about to be namd nathan's champion. >> i don't know if we should be watching that. he won his first mustard belt at the nathan's fourth of july hot dog eating contest. you can tell that was not easy. he ate 58 hot dogs and buns in minutes. miki sudo shattered the world's women's record. 51 dogs and buns in te

hurricane beryl re-strengthening to a category 3 storm ovni