it's monday, september 28th. coming up on "early today," the world's leaders will unite, and the stakes are massive at president and putin and others come together. hillary clinton faces tough questions about the e-mail controversy on "meet the prs," and donald trump talks about tax hikes. the pontiff celebrated mass for more than 800,000 strong on his final day in the u.s. tom brady is thrust into the record books, and others with high expectations fall to the frustrations of the season. "early today" starts right now. good morning, everyone. i'm alex witt. in a few hours, president obama will speak directly to the world's most powerful leaders

but it's his afternoon meeting with one in particular that could have one of the most far reaching consequences. edward is in washington for us. good morning. how important is this meeting with russian president vladimir putin? >> the meeting with the russian president could be the big news from this trip. the two are at odds, but the president hopes the message of unity to the united nations will be heard by the russian president vladimir putin. >> reporter: the president spoke at the sustainable goals summit at the u.n., ahead of an address to the entire body today. >> today we set aside the skepticism and we lift up the hope that is available to us through collective action. >> there will be the tough issue when they meet vladimir putin face-to-face. u.n. ambassador samantha power

says with problems in syria, the ukraine, the president sees an opportunity. >> the president believes it is irresponsible to let this occasion in which the two leaders would be in the same city pass without trying to test to see whether progress can be made on the seemingly interactable crises. >> reporter: when you lo >> when you look at the final product and what the president has been saying and is it the analysts that are getting it wrong or is it being politicized somewhere in the process. >> reporter: the president is expected to ask for a joint effort in the threat from the syrian government. france has already joined the fight, conducting its first air strike in syria, on an isis training camp. >> the president is also expected to use his iran nuclear deal as an example as what can happen when the world gets together to accomplish a goal. alex? >> all right.

eyes are focused on the u.n. today. democratic presidential front runner hillary clinton says she is trying to be as transparent as possible about her use as of a private e-mail server when she was secretary of state. during an interview on "meet the press," she told moderator chuck todd if she can do it all over again, she would have used a separate e-mail account. >> i have tried to the best of my ability to be able to respond. if the people are uncertain, if they have concerns about these questions about the e-mails, it is their choice to say that's going to influence, you know, how i think about the election. i understand that. i get it. >> her husband, former president bill clinton talked about the controversy on cnn. he said hillary is sorry that using her personal e-mail caused all this confusion. he also talked about the possibility of donald trump being the presidential nominee.

>> could trump become the nominee? >> i think so. how do i know? i don't understand any of it very well. i've been out of politician itig time. >> donald trump talked about his tax plan on cbs' "60 minutes," part includes increasing taxes on the wealthy. >> but republicans don't raise taxes. what kind of republican are you? >> the only -- i'm a pretty good republican. i tell you this, i have a difference, i don't want certain people on wall street getting away with paying no tax. >> the new poll shows donald trump and carson leading the gop pack. 21% are siding with trump. carson right behind with 20%. carson isn't shooting down the idea of rapper kanye west someday becoming president. on abc's "this week," carson said he's willing to give him a chance. carly fiorina had a bit of a scare last night.

>> that is a little frightening. the curtain back drop collapsed, and several women rushed to her side, shielding her. thankfully, no one was hurt. with what little time he has left as speaker of the house, john boehner is promising there won't be a government shut down. the government is scheduled to run out of money, but boehner is portioning to push through legislation. boehner has a lot to do before stepping down at the end of october. >> i expect that i might have a little more cooperation from some around town, to try to get as much finished as possible. i don't want to leave my successor a dirty barn. i want to clean the barn up a little bit before the next person gets here. >> on sunday, nancy pelosi reacted to the news of boehner

resigning, and she said she's not quite sure if she'll miss him. >> we can agree to disagree without being negative about each other, but yes, i don't know if i'll miss him. here one day. we just work. we barely have time to -- >> pelosi said the idea of the speaker resigning is the disarray in the republican pa y party. a fifth person has died from last week's boat crash in seattle. the latest victim is a 20-year-old woman, international student attending north seattle college. all of the dead were from the school. there's no exact cause yet from the ntsb, but they say the duck boat didn't have a recommended axel repair in 2013. investigators are trying to figure out if the company was aware of the warning. pope francis safely back in rome after his three-city u.s. tour. he spoke to reporters on the plane. he also tweeted, with my

heartfelt thanks. may the love of christ always guide the american people. god bless america. before he left, some funny moments. he stopped his procession to kiss a baby dressed like, yeah, the pope himself. he also met with an argentinian family that drove 13,000 miles to meet him. his quote, you are crazy. the funniest night was when mark wahlberg spoke to the soloist on stage. >> that right there was truly the voice of an angel. but then he whispers in my ear that he loved the movie "ted." and i told him, that was not appropriate for a boy of his age. holy father, please, forgive me. >> nbc reports from philadelphia. >> reporter: the images are just

like the moment. overwhelming. downtown philadelphia for the evening converted into a cathedral. >> it's amazing, the love and the closeness, it's unbelievable, how inspiring. >> reporter: more than 800,000 celebrating mass with the holy father. >> he's a wonderful person, bringing a beautiful message. >> reporter: pope francis began his six-day american tour in the nation's capital, meeting with president obama, then addressing a joint session of congress. the first pontiff ever afforded that honor. he continued to navigate the rope between politics and religion, as he traveled to new york, speaking before the united nations general assembly. pope francis addressing the most powerful leaders in the world. still, taking time for the most vulnerable among us. it was those moments, face to face with the people, that will define his historic visit.

a smile, a glance, stopping his motorcade to bless the children, they were the times francis seemed to cherish the most. closing out his american tour in philadelphia, focused on family, faith and service, and offering one final blessing. >> may god bless you all. god bless america. >> reporter: nbc news, philadelphia. huge excitement over nasa today. they were throwing around teasers that would make hollywood proud. they're saying, quote, mars mystery solved. this likely has to do with the discovery of water on the planet, which would be don yu monumental. we're still holding out hope for the martians. >> not that guy. >> it seemed like the red planet was paying a visit last night, but it was our moon. a supermoon lunar eclipse, a

rare combination. the full moon is as close to the earth as it gets. thanks to perfect timing, it passed into the earth's shadow of the sun and that's what made it appear red. if you missed it, you can try again in 2033. >> you and i, lawn chairs in the backyard. >> i was out in the yard last night, watching, even though i had to wake up early. >> did you see it a little bit? >> saw the whole thing. >> look at you. heavy rains turned the streets into rivers, but that didn't stop some drivers or this dirt bike from braving the downpour. not always wise to do. ma remarkable footage from south carolina. cameras gives an a view from inside a tornado. it touched down on the island friday morning. like twister. >> i'm in shock you went out and saw the moon. good for you. >> i had to see it. >> we have a lot to catch up on.

here's the forecast, we showed you the pictures on the gulf coast. the rains we're going to get in the eastern half of the country is what everyone in the west would love. this is going to be a good soaking we'll have for a while. the north, seeing the heaviest rain this morning, and near pensacola. throughout the day, this will shift north, up toward tallahassee, too. we'll get drenched. this area of low pressure will combine with more moisture up the coast. some areas had an inch or two in the last three months. very dry conditions. we could get soaked in some areas. three to four inches of rain. that's what we're hoping the el nino winter will bring for areas of colorad of california. seattle, you haven't cooled yet. the north, gorgeous, portland to

temperatures are warm in california. fresno, 92 today. so the rain is heading for the east but we'd like some in the west. have to wait longer. >> have to get the rain boots now. today might be a dream come true for you beer drinkers. high anxiety in the dugout. we'll explain that on "early today." here's a little healthy advice. eat well, live well, and take of what makes you, you. right down to your skin with aveeno® aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion with the goodness of active naturals® oat and 5 vital nutrients for healthier looking skin in just one day. healthy skin equals beautiful skin. and for shower softness, add the body wash, too! aveeno® naturally beautiful results®

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in queensland, australia, a massive 492 foot sink hole swallowed up vehicles at a popular beach, pulling them under water. a camping trailer and several tents were lost. 140 people were evacuated. luckily, no one was injured. according to a government report, 17.4 million americans

were hit by identity theft last year. 2/3 of all victims occurred in financial loss. 52% were able to resolve the theft in a day or less. time to get down to business with cnbc's landon dowdy. good morning. volkswagen's cheating scandal deepens. the staff warned years ago of software used to deny the tests. jet blue is adding a second charter flight between jfk and havana, ahead of the commercial travel between the u.s. and cuba. a new round trip non-stop flight will be offered every tuesday n partnership with the travel company licensed by the u.s. government. and shell is pulling the plug on oil in the arctic waters in

alaska for the foreseeable future. the company failed to find enough crude in the area. could cost them $4 billion. ahead, an nfl game delayed because the field caught fire. fire between teammates in the nationals dugouts. sports is next. ♪ it's the final countdown! ♪ ♪ the final countdown! if you're the band europe, you love a final countdown. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. you need to eat this special. kellogg's special k... made with whole grains and fiber

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>> this morning on "today" jeff lawson investigators a hidden danger, exploding manholes, what is causing the problem, is there anything you can do to protect yourself? football night in america, to the motor city we go. peyton manning strikes first with a one-yard run. the lions fight back with this blast, as he leaps up and over the line to score. 13 seconds before the half, fourth down, peyton manning finds thomas for a 45 yard strike. from there we take it to you late in the fourth quarter. five-point game. broncos win, 24-16. they remain undefeated while the lions are still looking for their first win. a pre-game started a small fire. that delayed the action.

third quarter. steelers up by 6. the rams defense hitting it hard. big roth lig -- roethlisberger has a knew injury. steelers win 12-6. nhl in the making. tom brady joins brett favre, dan marino and peyton manning in the 400 club. patriots remain undefeated as they crush the jags. 51-17. next, the fireworks between teammates when he and teammate have a physical argument in the dugout. whoa, hey there, now the two men say they later talked it out and talked it up to brothers fighting. philly ended up winning that one. jordan spieth collected $1.48 million, plus a $10 million bonus by winning the championship and fedex cup playoffs. the 22-year-old texan said it was his par-saving putt that put

him over the top. just ahead, one of tv's biggest stars calling it quits. a new era begins this evening on late night tv. you're watching "early today." we've got trouble in tummy town.

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mmm deliciousness. cookies or almonds. yumminess. hershey's is mine, yours, our chocolate. when is your flu shot more than a flu shot? when it helps give a lifesaving vaccine to a child in need in a developing country. thanks to customers like you, walgreens "get a shot. give a shot." program has helped provide seven million vaccines. make your flu shot make a world of difference. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. now to entertainment news. >> down to two from them? >> democrats, too. >> you have bush, carson -- >> ready or not, trevor noah is most of "the daily show."

"hotel transylvania 2" is the biggest september opening ever. "the intern" brought in $18 million. "maze runner" edged into third with $14 million. a representative for "big bang theory" star kaylee cuomo sweeting said she and her husband decided to end their marriage. >> vw can use this word to apologize for the scandal. >> it means the sadness coming from business-related lies. >> i'm alex witt and in the "early today." we hope it's the first stop of your day on nbc. ♪

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leading the news in the "new york times," katy perry steps up to fight to buy los angeles conve convent. in court documents filed thursday, the singer said a rival purchaser took advantage of elderly nuns. oppose the roman catholic church by rejecting her for the convert. twin power station chimneys demolished in style. it happened over the weekend. the 490 foot chimneys crashed into each other as they came tumbling down. was that planned? it was beautiful. look at that. we're all watching that demolition. thousands of others did, as well. police in northern

california said vandals attached a statue. junipero serra's statue was vandalized. >> being a saint, being made a saint doesn't mean the person is perfect. we all have our flaws. we all have our defects, you know? it was the same with serra. >> the incident is being investigated as a hate crime. cars lined up for free gas in ukraine. you had to wear a bikini. even men got in on the deal. >> free gas is free gas. >> i'm glad we're not seeing more than that. okay, pull away. it's national drink a beer day. more americans prefer to get to know someone over a beer rather than a cocktail.

what do you think of that? >> beer seems more intimate. >> it's more casual. i see the logic there. anyway, as always, for you out there, if you choose to drink, please do so responsibly. dogs on surf boards at the seventh annual surf city surf dog competition in huntington beach. dogs were jumped on the length of their ride and confidence on the board. rock out, pups. for a look ahead, the former prison worker who helped two murderers escape will be sentenced. joyce mitchell faces up to seven years in prison for her role. richard matt and david sweat broke out of clinton correctional facility in early june and weren't found for three weeks. happy birthday to hilary duff, naomi watts and the french actress bridget turns 81.

we'll leave you with beautiful images of electrifying thousands at the

s-a-p center on sunday-- why the indian prime minister's visit delivered more, than electroifying thousands at the sap center on sunday. and the world wind tour is over. pope francis back in the vatican this morning. we'll look at the images and messages that will last a lifetime. plus, desecrating a holy statue. "today in the bay" starts right now. good monday morning, thanks for joining us, i'm sam brock. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. did you have a good weekend? >> i did. >> me? >> never. >> hey, it's monday and the weather is going to still be nice after such a beautiful weekend and nowt