you're one sick pigeon. them dishes kept the rain off our beaks! we just have different priorities is all. satellite-free directv... never thought i'd see the day. well, our lifespans are quite short... stream directv without a satellite dish. i'm going to do this thing with my neck, just for a bit. service outages collide with emergency services.

what happens when you can't dial 911. how you can keep yourself and your family safe. from tornadoes to hurricanes to record-breaking heat waves, extreme weather becoming more and more common around the world. meteorologist bill karins breaks down the stark cost of climate change. a head to head on popular weight loss drugs, which one is the most effective? the new study diving into the numbers. a radical way to fight inflation. as families across the country feel the pinch of higher prices, some cities are stepping in by giving cash each month with no strings attached. a look at the benefits of a guaranteed income program. and some like it hot off the presses. steamy romance novels are burning up the charts, unlike ever before. how gen z is fueling the hottest trend this side of the library. "early today" starts right now. good morning, glad you are with me, i'm frances rivera.

we begin with growing concerns about cellphone network outages across the united states, the nationwide at&t outage that made headlines fueling concerns with first responders. nbc's brian cheung spoke to professionals who gave alternatives on what you can do when you are unable to reach 911. >> reporter: in an emergency you know to call 911. >> 911, where is your emergency? >> reporter: but what happens if you can't? that nightmare scenario recently playing out several times across the country. >> massive nationwide cellphone outage. >> what if i can't call 911, what do i do now? and that's -- that's what causes me sleepless nights. >> reporter: 911 emergency systems were down across massachusetts for hours, in april an installation of a light pole cut out service, leading to issues calling 911 in at least three states, but most notable a nationwide outage in february cutting at&t's service for thousands of customers for about half a day. at&t apologized to customers and said it was implementing changes

to prevent a repeat. >> as soon as the call comes in it shows up on this map. >> reporter: tony rose the deputy director of emergency services in charles county, maryland. while not impacted by those major events this year, he's noticed problems becoming more frequent. >> because we've transitioned from old technology, the old copper phone line system to this new ip network world that we live in, right, with smart devices. >> reporter: so where are these problems coming from? >> it could be human error. it could be a cyber attack. it could be a mechanical failure. >> reporter: but either way are outages across the board increasing in frequency in your view? >> yes. >> reporter: authorities are taking a look as well. in addition to a federal communications commission investigation into the february at&t issue, new york state said it would probe the telecom provider as well. the fcc said verizon wireless would pay over $1 million for a 911 outage in 2022 that

prevented hundreds of calls from completing, putting pressure on the companies to improve. >> it's a matter of investment on the part of the carriers to ensure greater network reliability. >> reporter: rose says families need to plan for emergency situations where you can't reach 911, among the recommendation, a landline, wifi calling, using a phone on another carrier, or the sos feature on certain phones if available, which basically uses roaming or satellites in emergencies. >> worst-case scenario is know where the closest fire or police station is at. >> reporter: whatever you do don't call 91 just to test if it works, that could clog up resources. rose says just like dialing 911 has become an instinct, so should planning for the worst-case scenario when you can't. >> typically with a hurricane you have at least 72 hours of notice that it's coming. in a 911 disruption or carrier disruption, there's no notice. >> our thanks to brian for that report.

now to the extreme weather that's rocked the country this year. as nbc meteorologist bill karins reports, these disastrous patterns are wreaking physical and financial devastation across the u.s. >> tornado outbreaks hitting states like florida and nebraska this spring. >> we looked over the northwest and the roof is gone. >> wildfires in california and new mexico, and now an early season tropical storm bringing heavy rain to mexico and texas. >> rain poured in. >> intense weather around the country wreaking financial havoc, already costar 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 2024, is we're seeing extreme weather in areas that are not used to it. >> 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, although the hot weather could drain more taxpayer money. fema says it continues to work to ensure sufficient funding and support lifesaving and life sustaining activities. >> fema is 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. >> and that can hit homeowners hard. insurance prices spiking, faster than inflation overall in the last few years. soaring an estimated 20% from 2021 to 2023 due to climate catastrophes. and 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. >> our thanks to bill for that report. and now here is a look at the weather in your neighborhood. now to a new study that has skpard the active ingredients of the most in demand weight loss and diabetes drugs. after 12 months patients taking ozempic or wegovy lost 8.3% of their body weight. mounjaro or zepbound lost 15.3%.

the results do not mean one is better than the other. doctors say both active ingredients are effective and which one is prescribed depends on the needs of the patient. the study comes on the heels of research showing this whole class of weight loss drugs may reduce the risk of certain obesity-related cancers like colon and liver cancer. coming up, how some cities are helping ease the high cost of living by experimenting with a guaranteed income. that's next. did you know... 80% of women are struggling with hair damage? just like i was. dryness and 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.

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>> who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? >> reporter: bella and her son felix spend more time together these days. now that the chicago area family is a recipient of cook county's guaranteed income program called promise guaranteed. >> i saw that we qualified and i applied on a whim. >> reporter: the family gets $500 cash every month, no strings attached. how they spend the money is up to them. >> and now when you get that check, where is it going? >> money wise it's going to cover my half of the mortgage, community wise, i guys, it goes to so much more than that. >> reporter: guaranteed income programs or unconditional cash are not a new idea but they are expanding, some are privately funded through donations, bubble funded or a mixture of both. >> one of the problems we have in the economy is that for a lot of folks, especially if you are a gig worker, shift worker, independent contractor your money is constantly going up and down each months and locks people out of upper mobility.

>> reporter: amy castro is the co-founder for the income research at the university of pennsylvania. she says the data shows unconditional cash can create stability. >> what happens if we create this floor that people know that they're not going to fall through? do they then take bigger risks? do they set goals? >> reporter: bella's goal is to finish her master's degree, the money means she can also work fewer hours. >> not only can i be with him more, i can go to school. >> reporter: to qualify for the government funded program applicants had to prove their income was at or below 50% of the poverty guidelines. their income had to be less than $58,000 a year. the program was capped at around 3,000 beneficiaries but tens of thousands of people applied. >> so many people applied for so few spots. what does that tell you about the need in cook county? >> that there is a great need. it's not just cook county it's across the state and country.

i want our program to be part of the national conversation about guaranteed income at the federal level. it's the federal government that has the releases to do this. >> reporter: not everyone is on board with handing out cash. arizona republicans passed a bill to ban guaranteed income states but it was vetoed by the governor. in california a lawsuit is pending by conservative groups calling them unlawful from choosing recipients from minority groups. other critics raised concerns the money won't be well spent. >> a majority of the money is spent exactly the way anybody else would spend it, which is on food and basic necessities. why not put some restrictions on how people can spend this cash? >> it perplexes me that we often ask this question what are low income families going to do with this cash, but we never ask that question of the wealthy, we only ask those questions of people that we deem to be undeserving. >> reporter: in thelong run castro says the benefits allow people to climb out of debt and begin to save and allows them extra time. >> we can only imagine the possibilities if we created that

level of stability for our entire population. >> reporter: for bella, who is expecting a second child, her time is priceless. >> i get to focus more on the things that are important to me because i'm not sitting here worrying about our bills all the time. >> our thanks to valerie for that story. still to come, why the high tech safety features of modern tech safety features of modern cars could put domes want a next level clean? swish with the whoa of listerine. it kills 99.9% of bad breath germs for five times more cleaning power than brushing and flossing alone. get a next level clean... ahhhhh with listerine. feel the whoa! hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days. 50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪ you are bountiful. your skeleton can support two times your weight. it's in your nature to stand strong.

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now concerns the tech puts lives in danger. >> many of us step in our cars every day and don't really realize how that technology could be used against us. >> reporter: the ftc stepping in to combat cases of technology enabled stalking where high tech tools were allegedly used against domestic abuse victims. >> we hear from survivors every single day who are experiencing technology facilitated abuse, which is abuse that is really any form of technology that is being used to carry out that control and harassment. >> reporter: this chair won wants to stop abusers from using connectivity tools in vehicles to hairs and intimidate their partners, by ensuring manufacture years can support survivors who want to disconnect with access from their vehicle. she wrote a car is a critical lifeline. survivors of domestic abuse shouldn't have to choose between giving up their vehicle and feeling safe. >> the ftc stepping in to regulate because the auto makers

didn't put nf privacy protections in place? >> one of the problems is the privacy protections that are in place are designed against hackers or third parties but the nature of the threats are changing all the time and one of the things that the car makers didn't think about is protecting the information from other members of the family, from other owners of the car. >> reporter: the call for regulation driven by media reports like these, in one case a woman unsuccessfully sued tesla, alleging the company negligently failed to help her, complaining her husband was stalking and harassing her through the vehicle since he was the administrator on the account. according to the lawsuit she said she discovered her car doors open, the suspension settings changed or the vehicle's ability to charge turned off. the woman and her husband ultimately settled the suit. >> the scenario that a survivor could be leaving their abusive partner and trying to enter safety such as emergency shelter and that that very vehicle that they're driving to the shelter to can be tracked is deeply concerning. when you have a concept, when you are developing technology,

it is really critical to think about how that can be misused and mitigate that before it ever reaches the marketplace. >> reporter: the ftc points to the federal safe connections act as a precedent which gives the agency authority to help domestic abuse survivors to communicate, providers like at&t and verizon to separate phone lines on a family plan where the abuser is already on the abuser is already on the account. i won't let my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me. emerge as you. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 4 months and the majority stayed clearer, at 5 years. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge as you. emerge tremfyant®. ask you doctor about tremfya®. ( ♪♪ ) swiffer duster traps 4x more dust

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(♪♪) [baby crying] (♪♪) (♪♪) [cheerful screams] (♪♪) (♪♪) [giggling] (♪♪) (♪♪) [baby crying] this is not just a pharmacist. you could try this. yeah? this is another woman who gets it. (♪♪) romance novels are surging in popularity on social media with sales reaching an all time high in 2023. nbc's ellen lopez tells us how gen z is fueling the cultural phenomenon. >> reporter: romance novels are having a moment. >> i never used to read spicy books. i've gone from 0 to 100. >> reporter: finding new fans on new platforms. >> i recommend you guys some of

my favorite spicy smutty romance books. >> reporter: building on "fifty shades of gray." >> christian gray. >> i'm an tash i can't steel. >> reporter: and who can forget twilight? it's a page turning resurgence and even though book sales across the country are dipping, it's annual print sales of the genre that are skyrocketing, more than doubling in the past three years. those bending the hot and heavy thrills are crashing in big time. colleen hoover making up 80% of romance novel sales last year, the genre seeing a new wave of readers. a decade ago it skewed between an older reader, ages 35 to 54, now they are as young as 18. >> i think there is this old clinging shame about sex in general that this younger generation doesn't feel quite as keenly as my generation did. >> reporter: gen z displaying the sultry covers uninhibited by the stigma often associated with

the genre. >> these books are very empowering to women and they speak a lot to women's pleasure and how we deserve pleasure, how we should ask for pleasure. >> reporter: one of the power players in the industry, a musk, not that musk but elon's sister. she is the leading force behind passion flicks a romance streaming service that turns those juicy pages into steamy flicks. >> men have no issue with asking for and getting their pleasure and, in fact, it's expected and. >> and it's not just that, it's anything in life. >> it's everything. it all stems from that. if we are told to not ask for pleasure we're taught we don't deserve it, that we should not get it. just in that world sexually let's say. then we immediately assume it's also in other areas, but if we turn around, turn that whole thing around and we say, no, actually, i deserve it, i am worth it, i'm going to get it. >> reporter: this legion of

women agree, hundreds coming in from across the world to celebrate their love for the genre at parks con. >> a lot of the times we see things made by women for women kind of being rejected. so to be within a community that accepts that and accepts what we enjoy and what our hopings are it's an amazing place to be. >> reporter: millions of fans rippingoff the old stigma, backing their book shelves and reviving happy stories and, yes, their endings, too. >> our thanks to ellen lopez for that report. when we come back, the when we come back, the ♪♪ are you tired of your hair breaking after waiting years for it to grow? meet new pantene pro-v miracles. with our highest concentration of pro-vitamins yet, infused with ingredients like biotin & collagen. strengthens hair bonds and repairs as well as the leading luxury brand without the $60 price tag. ♪♪ for stronger, healthier hair. ♪♪ if you know,

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organization is helping young women amplify their voices while fostering community healing. our maya eaglin tells us about girls be heard. >> i have come from a shelter and i'm not afraid to say that. i was in the station with my suitcase sitting there like i don't know where to go. >> what are we doing? >> reporter: anastasia and divinity are performers with girls be heard, centered on empowerment and community, providing resources that have helped thousands of young women. >> show time. >> reporter: the program encourages girls to express themselves using poetry, dance, music and acting and a group of them created a show called "rise: the pursuit of utopia." >> when you don't have people who really are there and would like to tell you i'm proud of you, you've got it, girl. i have that now but didn't have it before. >> reporter: of the over 650,000 people experiencing homelessness

in 2023, about half were people of color, and research shows that there are 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, and 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 never let it. there's something in my spirit that is called perseverance and that's something that i know that can't be taken away from you. >> reporter: the program supports girls from all types of backgrounds in nyc. >> the reality is that the community has a lot to do with the amount of validation and the amount of support that they could be giving young people.

cynthia renta is the executive director of girl be heard. for her helping improve young people's confidence and mental health is personal. >> i lost a very close friend to 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. >> girl, you are heard loud and clear. thanks so much waking up with "early today," i'm frances rivera. have a great day. (vo) meet fargo, the new virtual assistant from wells fargo. fargo makes banking faster, and easier. (woman) fargo, turn off my debit card! (vo) lets you pick up the tab, even if you forget your wallet...

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