well, i think the owner should do something about it. it's very disrespectful to our flag and our country. we have a great country. we have great people representing our country. our first responders, they should be treated with respect. >> president trump doubling down against nfl players kneeling in protest to the national anthem. find out which owners back him all the way. the gop is back on life support throwing money at certain states to gain yes votes. iran test fires a ballistic missile. how will president trump handle this, on top of north korea. >> the first lady goes solo to

meet prince harry. this is not the way to get to work. that train is going 70 miles per hour. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. the country is filled with images and headlines of demonstrations full of protests. from new york to l.a., kansas city and london. nfl players of all stripes took a knee, sat arm in arm, peacefully demonstrating. some teams chose to stay in their locker rooms as "the star-spangled banner" plays. the president called them doo deviant, unpatriotic. he called on players to be fired if they, quote, disrespect our great american flag or country. he remarked on the issue, yet again, as he boarded air force

one back to the white house. >> when you get on your knee and you don't respect the american flag or the anthem, that's not treating with respect. >> racial tensions? >> this has nothing to do with race. i never said anything about race. this doesn't have to do with race. it has to do with respect to our country and our flag. >> a week before, just six players protested. this time, over 200 did. it doesn't seem as if the demonstrations will slow down with protests leading over to baseball and nba. morgan joins us from outside met stadium. >> reporter: good morning. taking a stand against the president's remarks, also an exercise of their own free speech. a powerful display of

protest. kneeling in defiance of president trump. players showed solidarity. others raising their fists. a former army ranger was the lone teammate to take the field for the anthem. at the titans, no player from either team took the field. tom brady, who described the president as a friend stood with his teammates, linking arms. this as they doubled down on protest, taking aim at colin kaepernick to stand against police brutality. >> wouldn't you love to see one of the team owners say get that son of a bitch off the field right now. he's fired. he's fired! >> reporter: the president

tweeted, great solidarity for the national anthem and our country. standing with locked arms is good. kneeling is not acceptable. bad ratings. the administration saying the protests are a front to veterans. fans filed into stadiums, some saying this isn't about disrespect, it's about freedom. >> it's not a protest against the military, it's inequality of the country. >> i understand freedom of speech. it's the players job. i don't get to speak freely at my job. >> the first major league football player took a knee. the oakland athletics icon. stevie wonder kneeling, calling for prayer for national unity. acts of defiance of so many making the president's call to fire those who refuse to stand, too costly. >> even colin kaepernick has

been blacklisted. you cant do that, too many of them are too valuable to the businesses they operate. >> thanks to morgan for that report. this morning, another sports league is weighing in with nascar owners saying they would come down hard on drivers who did not stand during the national anthem. a deadly tennessee church shooting is held without bond. they charged him with first degree murder. he drove up to a church in on the yough, tennessee, shot and killed a woman, outside, then went inside shooting. the usher tackled the gunman. the gun went off, shooting the suspect in the chest. he quote, pistol whipped the usher. he got a gun and ran back inside making sure no more shots were fired waiting for police.

they are calling that usher a hero. >> he's the hero. he's the person that stopped this madness. we are very, very grateful for him. they found two pistols in the church and a pistol and rifle in his suv. the fbi opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting with no explanation or further comment. president trump has a new executive order banning or restricting visas from eight countries to the united states. it keeps the original travel ban restrictions that were due to expire on five of the six countries, libya, somalia, syria, yemen and iran. it affects venezuela, north korea and chad. announcing the order, president trump tweeted, making america safe is my number one priority. we will not admit them into the country if we cannot safely vet them. they said president trump's

original sin of targeting muslims cannot be cured by throwing other countries on the enemy list. >> the travel restriction isn't the only polly. he announced a tax plan before taking off for washington. >> we have ta tax plan that is finalized. it is terrific. it will be the largest tax cut in the history of our country. i hope it's 15%. the plan? we'll see what happens, but i hope it's 15%. it's going to be substantially lower to bring jobs back to the country. this is a plan for the middle class and companies to bring back jobs. >> the 15% corporate tax rate runs contrary to a plan circulated by republican leaders calling for a 20% tax rate for companies and top 35% tax rate for individuals. the president would like that dropped to 10%.

the plan, not finalized, is set to be unveiled in the next several days. melania trump was in canada for the invick ta games for wounded military service members. it was her first foreign trip since the inauguration. during the trip, she met with prince harry, discussing the history of the games. the first lady extending an invitation to the white house telling the prince he is welcome anytime. >> look what drivers in australia saw. this amazingly dangerous stunt. a 23-year-old man clinging to the back of that train speeding at 70 miles per hour. according to local media, he was detained by indianapolis when they arrived at the next station. wow, it's a lot weighing on that one wiper. >> i don't know what is wrong

with that guy. nbc meteorologist bill karins is with us. >> almost done with maria. the outer banks being brushed by the storm, then we are done with it, finally. tropical storm warnings were issued and hour ago from the outer banks. it didn't look like it's going to be a direct hit. it's weakening enough it will be a glancing blow. they will come out all right. the forecast does take it close then exits out. incredible heat for the eastern half of the nation, fall-like in the rockiesre clouds than we wo. nice around portland today.

we are looking at the temperatures earlier. chicago warmer than phoenix. >> it's odd to see that. the country is split down the middle. >> don't want to let go of summer yet. bill, thank you. the box office, "kingsman: the golden circle" $39 million in sails. "it" going strong. they took in $30 million other the weekend. in third, "lego ninjago movie" bringing in $21.2 million. "early today" is back in two. i was wondering if an electric toothbrush really cleans... ...better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and...

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reaching them. >> leading on a monday morning, recovery efforts are moving forward with flights leaving the island. hundreds backed san juan with limited flights from the island. with power and cell service down, reservations are hard to come by. it's difficult for residents to contact families in the u.s. mainland. dozens stopped on this roadside hoping to get through using the weak signal. gabe gutierrez is in puerto rico with more. seems like another area that hasn't been touched by clean up efforts at all. >> reporter: hi, there, frances, good morning. this area is just outside of san juan. there's a major highway where people are driving past. as you can see, this church is decimated and ripped apart. it's actually a major congregation. 3,000 people in this church, but

it was destroyed. the wind ripped it apart and they are figuring out how they are going to clean up. frances, it wasn't just the wind damage or the flooding from the storm that is the long-term disaster. we are finding the communications breakdown is delaying the rescue efforts, hampering them. we rode with a fema rescue team. they are trying their best to clear the roads and rescue people, it is a constant struggle to communicate with local officials. power is out to the entire island. almost all the cell phone service is inoperable here. that is the long term disaster. some think it could take not just months, but years for the infrastructure to bounce back. we are seeing people desperate for gas. there is a growing need for fuel and people are waiting for hours for just the hope of finding fuel. as you mention ld, another big challenge is communications between the island and the u.s. the u.s. military is coming in

to offer some assistance. frances and philip, this is a recovery that will take quite a while. back to you. >> a long way to go. some areas haven't been touched at all. thank you, gabe. >> a dire situation. thousands showed up to the star-studded concert for charlottesville in virginia for a night of music and unity after the violent clashes that led to the death of a woman. it was headlined by dave matthews who invited the mother of heather hire on stage. >> raising our voices against hate and for unity, you help carry carry on heather's legacy. you make her death count and her too brief life matter even more. >> other performers included justin timber lake and more while the concert was free to

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the president looks ahead to taxes and he'll have to deal with the issue to vex washington

lawmakers. health care. they are making a last ditch effort to scrap open care with another bill this morning. a section of the bill shows sweeteners for the states of alaska and maine whose senators have yet to make a vote. >> there's no telling if the bill will make it to the president's desk. for more, here is kelly o'donnell. >> thanks, philip, the republicans went back to the drawing board to repeal and replace obamacare. there have been attempts before, they failed. a new proposal on the desk. time is running out. questions whether this alternative can pass. a gop repeal of obamacare is back on life support days before a deadline as republicans attempt to overhaul health care insurance one more time. >> the only way you know how people vote is when you actually vote.

>> reporter: signs point to opposition and reluctance from a few republicans whose votes are critical. >> it is hard for me to invision getting to yes on this bill because my concerns are so fundmental. >> this is a bad idea, it's not repeal. >> this obamacare alternative named for senators lindsey graham and bill cassidy shift control from the federal government to states using block grants. take the power and money out of obamacare and let states design systems. >> reporter: that formula is too costly for declared no vote, rand paul. >> basically keeps the obamacare spending and reshuffles it and block grants it to the states. >> reporter: another concern, medicaid expansion. it hems americans get coverage and would be reduced over time. there is dispute on the impact to insurance buyers with

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well, welcome back. the week ahead is going to feature changes. we'll get the cool air from the northern rockies headed to the east and watch rain in the middle of the nation. if we have flash flood issues, it will be areas west of texas. starting off cool in the northwest, maybe a sprinkle or two and sunny conditions throughout the week look nice. the rockies, there's the rain in texas. by the end of the week, watching decent conditions, showers in the northwest. nice weather. feeling like fall, how it should. >> bill, thank you. mexico is reeling after another powerful earthquake rocked the country. this is just one of thousands of aftershocks following the deadly quake. a victim described what it was

like to be in a victim as it was collapsing. >> shaking more violent that i ever, ever seen before. all of a sudden, the floor started. boom. boom. boom. >> another survivor says she was trapped under a building almost 24 hours, but was able to send a text to her husband. they are concentrated on less than a dozen sites where people could be buried under debris. locals came out in droves to sift through the rubble. >> a glimmer of hope as rescue crews discover a trapped dog free from the collapsed building. reportedly, the dog is in good health. >> good news there. a hot air balloon engagement went off course. after the groom's proposal, the balloon took an unexpected turn. witnesses on the ground captured the balloon as it drifted,

lowering into a neighborhood. it crash landed. nobody was hurt. the happy couple took it all in stride. >> this is like the best engagement ever. >> very memorable. >> yes. >> once in a lifetime experience. >> made for a fantastic day. >> it did. >> pretty exciting engagement. hopefully wedding and marriage as well. the skies in brussels for the third round of the drone championship on saturday. spectators gathered to watch it. they buzzed through trees, sweeping through the hoops. the team beat swiss rivals for first place. the youngest competitor, just 9 years old. >> very young. i think this league is going to gain popularity because of how cool those shots look. 120 miles an hour right through there. pretty cool. >> go pros are so done.

they are yesterday. >> thanks for watching. >> the news continues here on nbc.

there is the tennessee titans locker room. no players have come out on the field for either team, each team making a statement for social equality, for unity. >> something we've seen across the nfl. >> across the nfl landscape, players, coaches and owners linking arms, kneeling or sitt out the national anthem in a leaguewide response to president trump's critical comments. a sunday service had just ended when shots rang out. a gunman wearing a ski mask firing, but it was a brave usher who saved the day. the president's son-in-law under fire for using his own private e-mail account in the white house. jennifer lopez donates $1 million to puerto rico recovery, but that's not all. and just how good a driver are you? the drone race