it's thursday june 11th. coming up on "early today," police admit they have no information on the location of the escaped murderers, but a new clue is pointing law enforcement towards vermont. three years after america's combat role in iraq ended, we're sending hundreds more u.s. troops back to battle isis. but is it theight plan? today, 33 million americans are at risk in the line of severe storms and potential tornadoes. plus when saving seats on a graduation goes terribly wrong. and tleetszathletes behaving badly. "early today" starts right now. good to be with you, i'm francis rivera. stay in your homes and turn on your outside lights just hours ago that was the word from authorities near the

maximum-security prison in dannemora, new york. the fresh tip in the search for two convicted murderers sent an army of cops to the area. nearby state route 374 is shut this morning as well. and new information reveals the escapees may also be headed to vermont. nbc's miguel almaguer reports on the daily dragnet for the men authorities say would kill again. >> in a show of force and firepower, the search for david sweat and richard matt going door to door. this is joyce mitchell a civilian employee who worked at the prison tailor shop, supervising the escapees. nbc news has learned that employees at the prison say there are no metal detectors here. even duffle bags are allowed in and out unchecked. inmates who worked with prison staff are at times left unattended. >> my law enforcement source had confirmed to me that they for a month had access to the inner workings of the prison. >> sweat and matt not only used power tools to escape but

navigated a maze of catwalks and pipes. >> there's no way they could find their way to exit the facility in one night with a maze of tunnels that lead in every different direction. underneath the prison. >> 50 billboards in four states are now up. the intent search growing, neighborhoods not far from the prison swept by s.w.a.t. teams. an hour south, more tactical squads. the search here is methodical. officers even drawing their guns as they search campers, cars and homes all across this area. >> they want to make sure people are safe not being held hostage. >> wynn bellinger lives here and is armed. >> inch prepared to use it. >> 300 miles away. police questioned david sweat's mother his sister told us sweat stopped writing home two months ago. those who know richard matt say they're living in fear. we spoke by phone to matt's former accomplice a convicted

murderer who testified against matt in court. he wants his identity concealed, because he fears retaliation. >> there's no telling what kind of revenge he may want to exact on people. this is a very psychotic individual. and it's somebody that definitely has no regard for human life. >> that was nbc's miguel almaguer reporting. this morning new plans from the white house to send american troops to iraq. 450 of them mostly trainers. raising the total there to 3500. they will advise forces currently fighting an uphill battle against isis. nbc's tracey potts is live in washington. where are they going? >> they're headed to anbar province to fight the fight in ramadi with the iraqis to support them in the fight. that's the latest area that was taken by the islamic state. as for whether or not this is going to work really depends on who you ask here in washington. another 450 military advisers trainers are headed to iraq.

>> president and his team are confident that for now, 450 troops are additional military personnel are what is necessary. >> necessary, to take back ramadi a key sunni capital lost last month to the islamic state. >> it's a step in the right direction. but as the president admitted the other day, he has no strategy to win. >> critics are coming from all sides, republicans, democrats. >> can't substitute for the patriotism of the people of another country. the question is is there enough there. >> they want this to be a war between america and islam. and we just can't fall into that trap. >> some say it's a joke to think our troops won't have to fight. >> this is exactly how vietnam started. and if you don't think you're putting them in harm's way, then you're not living in the real world. >> the real problem some lawmakers say -- a shiite government that won't let sunnis in. >> we can send in all the

trainers we want. but we need the iraqi government to deal with their sectarian governance problem. >> and get help from their arab neighbors. now, no official reaction from baghdad, although the white house says that president obama did consult with their prime minister who requested more help from the united states. but there are some shiite groups that are fighting that say they will not fight if the united states is involved. >> our tracey potts reporting. as americans prepare to leave for iraq sad news confirmed by the state department this morning. an american fighting isis in syria is dead. keith broomfield from massachusetts was helping kurdish force who is called him a martyr on social media. his mother told nbc news he believed it was god's will that he go to syria. well now she says she is waiting for his body to come back. in las vegas, the fists were flying at a graduation during pallo verde's high school commencement ceremonies. parents starting punching and

pushing each other. a fight over seatsing sparked. it it wasn't just adults getting hurt. >> innocent people like little kids and like adults were being hit. >> police were eventually called in to break it up. so far, no charges, but police are using the video to hopefully identify those involved. today, the colorado theater shooting trial will continue with an ex-girlfriend of james holmes returning to the stand. in court yesterday, gargi dada told jurors she met him while in grad school and said he sent her messages saying he wanted to kill people. holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 others. prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. new details in the murder investigation where four people were brutally slain in a d.c. area mansion last month. according to search warrants investigators found a bloody bat at the mansion. the warrant also reveals that

one of the victims was found with trauma to the rear of his head. another victim was found with lacerations to her throat and head. none of the victims are identified in the document. the murders took place at a multimillion-dollar home in d.c. police have said that the four victims were held against their will before they were murdered and their home set on fire. so far, only one suspect, darren went is being held on a first-degree murder charge. runoff from severe storms in texas and oklahoma have caused the red river to rise almost eight feet higher than flood stage in louisiana. and in tampa, up to six inches of rain fell in parts of the city leading to significant flooding there. even canceling a party for game four of the stanley cup finals. nbc meteorologist bill karins has today's forecast and hopefully it's a little bit drier for people out there. >> the red river area is a little better. we're still going to see large hail and the possibility of isolated tornadoes. i had a hail picture sent into the national weather service in chicago that's incredible. the softball-sized hail fell in

gundy, illinois yesterday. pretty amazing stuff. let's talk about the jet stream pattern where we are. why we're having this weather pattern the way it is high pressure is in the southeast. the upper-level low that was over california has drifted towards the four corners region and that will be responsible for a lot of the bad weather over the next couple of days. as we watch the storms continuing to be in areas around nebraska up through iowa and also in wisconsin. i mentioned the heat will be impressive here washington, d.c. 93 today. raleigh, 95 on saturday. the heat is going to be confined to the southeast. still very warm around the memphis area but cooling off in kansas city. also st. louis is a little bit cooler and in the northwest temperatures also have been knocked down a little bit. 86 in spokane. 75 on saturday. portland upper 70s. so the heat is kind of windowed a little bit in the northwest. we do have flash flooding threats today. omaha up to green bay, south of minneapolis and a little bit in the rockies, too. we'll have a chance of severe weather and also isolated areas

of flash flooding. 29 million people today at risk of those severe storms in the midwest. that's your national especially near the coastal areas, still a little warm in northern rockies. upcoming weekend forecast looks pretty good for much of the west. not as extreme. >> we'll take it especially with the weekend coming up. well find out which company is offering one-year paid leave for dads with new babies. plus mystery of the deadly philly amtrak train crash deepens. and a dairy land shark rescue attempt. you're watching "early today." for seven hours, we did battle. until i said... you will not beat... meeeeee!!! greg.

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philadelphia last month. it left eight people dead. here's nbc's national correspondent peter alexander. >> the ntsb announced there's no evidence the engineer running amtrak train 188 was using his cell phone that night. >> there was no talking or texting or data usage involved. >> investigators say brandon bostian wasn't on the internet while operating the train. bostian gave investigators the passcode to his phone and told them he doesn't remember anything after the train left philadelphia bound for new york. an ntsb board member told lawmakers they haven't concluded whether bostian's phone was turned off or perhaps in airplane mode. >> things like use of an app or other use of the phone has not been determined. >> in airplane mode a user can be watching a movie, playing a game or reading an e-book. so what may have happened? >> potential drug interaction, medical event of some kind. momentary distractions in the cab and fatigue. >> the northeast regional train was going 106 miles per hour

when it derailed on a 50-mile-per-hour curve. >> that was nbc's peter alexander. in mckinney, texas we're hearing from officer eric casebolt seen on tape forcibly breaking up a pool party and pulling his gun. he apologized through his attorney. >> with all that had happened that day, he allowed his emotions to get the better of him. he was not targeting minorities. >> casebolt's attorney said the officer had responded to two separate suicide calls before the pool party. and they had taken an emotional toll. casebolt resigned on tuesday. near orlando, a truck hauling four sandbar sharks blew a tire and went into a ditch. that impact tossing and killing one shark. a seaworld rescue team was called in to help. the sharks were headed to an aquarium in coney island. in mississippi, a suv slams into a restaurant. the vehicle plowing through a brick wall and pinning a person under the front bumper. the driver had minor injuries

despite what it looks like right there. one person was hospitalized in broken ribs. police think a medical problem caused her to crash. time to you get down to business with cnbc's lana downey good morning. >> good morning to you. nike signs a deal with the nba worth a reported $1 billion for the exclusive right to supply jerseys and warm-up gear to the league. nike will take over from adidas at the start of the 2017-2018 season. the company controls more than 90% of the basketball shoe market and has endorsement deals with stars like lebron james. richard branson wants new dads to spend more time with their family. the billionaire behind the virgin empire has started a new policy for both women and men. in the uk and switzerland. to take up to a year of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child. pay is based on how long employees have worked at virgin companies. and over on wall street stocks rallied on wednesday with the dow moving back into the black for the year. traders are focused on retail

sales data out today which could show whether americans are opening up their wallets again. francis, back to you. just ahead, not exactly a banner day for sportsmanship. the softball pitcher throws vicious shoulders as runners cross the plates. and in major league baseball a temper tantrum you've got to see. sports is next. people are both soft and strong which is why our products are too. and we believe in value so we give you 60% more sheets than charmin ultra strong. angel soft. be soft. be strong.

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this morning on "today," the cast of the "gilmore girls" are back again. they sit down exclusively for a walk down memory lane as they celebrate the hit show's 15th anniversary. time to bring you sports. in game four of the stanley cup finals rookie goalie andre vasilesky making his first start at the stanley cup finals. he had 17 saves on 19 shot attempts. and crawford with 24 saves on 25 attempts. and the hawks win this one 2-1 even up the series at two games apiece. and yankees looking to pick up their 8th straight win. top of the eighth nationals michael taylor knocks one deep into the field and his fifth of the season. top of the 11th denard span gets the rbi as he stretches for the single to secure the win. the nationals win it 5-4. minnesota twins out fielder torii hunter threw a tantrum on

the baseball diamond yesterday. like my 2-year-old would do. hunter didn't appreciate the strike three called on him and he made sure that the ump knew about it. it was clear how he felt about it hunter was ejected from the game but didn't leave before airing out all kinds of dirty laundry. >> the san diego chargers will retire ladanian tomlinson's number 21 jersey and induct him into the team's hall of fame. lt rushed for just under 14,000 yards and ran for 145 touchdowns second behind the hall of famer emmet smith. congratulations to him. and watch this it's this controversial video is going viral, saturday at a texas high school softball championship here the catcher can be seen, look see it? throwing her elbow knocking down two different base runners when there's no different play being made at home plate. no ejection was given but her team did lose the championship. what comes around definitely goes around. lebron james is just two wins

away from winning his third championship in the first-ever for the cleveland cavaliers franchise. and a hat tip to "u.s.a. today" for posting this 2001 interview with lebron as a 16-year-old sophomore in high school. >> what's your long-term goal. >> to get to the nba. >> do you want to be the best? >> yeah. >> i read somewhere you said you want to be the best defender best shooter, what do you have to improve on between now and the nba? >> maybe getting stronger. defensively. and shooting a three. >> look at that baby face. fast-forward 14 years later, james still wants to be the best. averaging 41 points 12 boards and eight assists in the finals. yup, the king is well on his way. >> announcer: "early today" is brought to you by new emergen-z. eye candy for the ghostbusters we'll explain. plus what game the tloens author george r.r. martin has to say about complaining fans this

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conditions medications you are taking and if you have kidney or liver problems. using invokana® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase risk of low blood sugar. it's time. lower your blood sugar with invokana®. imagine loving your numbers. there's only one invokana®. ask your doctor about it by name. now for some entertainment news. a lot of people heartbroken over this. rumors that homer and marge simpson will be breaking up. the producer said that they would legally separate. yesterday "the simpsons" posted a picture on facebook with the

quote you heard it here first and it shows bart writing over and over on the blackboard homer and marge are not breaking up. in denial. and chris helmsworth on board to play the receptionist in the upcoming female-led "ghostbusters" reboot. director paul feig took to twitter making the announcement posting a photo of hemsworth and writing, who you going to call and "game of thrones" george r.r. martin wants to ask fans to knock it off. he said he can't control other people's writing and wants to be left alone to finish writing the rest of the books in the series. the current season of the tv series is not based on martin's books, martin has not published new book since the show began in 2011. he said leave is to me i'll write it don't worry. i'm francis rivera along with bill karins and this is "early today," we hope it's just your first step of the day here on nbc.

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leading the news on nbc news.com texas man and his dog found dead after becoming trapped inside car. police say the door locks on this man's 2007 chevy corvette were completely electric and officers say it appears the battery cable came loose, leaving the man unable to escape his car. officials say the man and dog's death were likely the result of heat. and from nbc 4 new york kids with cancer celebrate graduation from a special preschool on long island. 17 preschoolers all battling cancer graduated yesterday from the morgan center. the school limits the kids' exposure to germs giving them a safe preschool experience they might miss otherwise. other stories we're following. pope francis has approved a new office inside the vatican to

investigate bishops accused of involvement in sex abuse cases. well this comes after years of sexual abuse scandals plaguing the catholic church. on this weekend, in jackson, mississippi, the local sheriffs office is letting folks trade in their guns for gas cards. it's being put on with the help from actor dan akroyd. he will be participating in the tradeoff. dan aykroyd is a sworn deputy in the county. and from the nbc affiliate in laredo texas, police shut down a lemonade stand. two young sisters. >> follow the rules. >> they were trying to raise money for their dad what if your kids were doing that bill? >> they didn't follow the rules, they get disciplined. >> they won it for daddy by selling lemonade. they needed a permit. they were open for an hour before police shut them down. under texas law the girls can't sell lemonade without an inspection and a permit. so -- >> they won't forget that. >> they won't forget that life lesson. >> in second grade, they're taught you must get an inspection and the proper

paperwork. >> are you trying to defend criminals? >> sure. >> our reporter in kansas was having a rough day when she kept getting bugged. >> that was going on it's a cicada attack she's a young reporter in topeka kansas just trying to make her, be on tv. record herself. >> she looks fantastic. that's all that really matters. >> she's not used to. >> we'll ignore the scream and the wailing of the arms. >> it's the first time in 17 years that the cicadas came out. she's probably like what are these things mostly harmless to humans but causing emotional distress for her. if you don't have a cicada attack you don't have a tv career. a look ahead, the irs is expected to announce new steps to help protect taxpayers from identity theft. the changes come after cyberthieves stole information from more than 100,000 taxpayers last month. keep it here for more news weather and sports. i'm francis rivera. have a great thursday.

time to pick up the pieces and put in some more effort: warriors players are looking to find their groove it's time to pick up the pieces and put in some effort. warriors players looking to find their groove ahead of a critical game four. >> and vandals hit a danville war memorial with graffiti leading to a big reward for approximate information. plus a rash of package thets in fremont as neighbors unnerved but investigators are targeting who iet be responsible with fresh eyes and video. we're almost at the end of the week good thursday morning, it's 4:30 i'm sam brock. >> and i'm chris san can chess in for laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to but first let's check your forecast with meteorologist kari hall. >> good morning. the low clo