i will say the fact that health care is so difficult, i think makes the taxes easier. the republicans want to get it done. >> today the president's full core press for tax reform goes into overdrive. >> the federal sting dubbed operation jungle book results in seizing dozen of exotic animals and charges filed against 16 people. >> some of holly woods 16 stars speak out about the harvey weinstein scandal. >> you don't need to have children to think in terms of how harvey weinstein and people have treated women. and to think how terrible that is. >> this is something that is not endemic only to hollywood. it's all over the world. >> the fact that one of the most powerful people i've ever seen in hollywood has been banished.

>> and watch out for hidden spy cams in plain sight that are watching your every mom. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. president trump is putting pressure on house republicans to get moving on tax reform. he says he wants a bill overhauling the system on his desk by this thanksgiving. and i warns that failure to pass a major tax package would haunt republicans during next year's midterm elections. nbc's tracie potts is in d.c. for us this morning. what is the late est on republican's latest efforts? >> reporter: the president weighed in by phone. he'll be here on capitol hill tomorrow to put the pressure on to get this und. the president has been wanting a big legislative win. it didn't happen with health care. he's hoping it will happen with tax reform, something that has not been done in 30 years. step one when lawmakers get back is for the house to pass the same budget that the senate

passed last week, that would essentially leave the door open for 1 1/2 trillion dollar tax cut. the big question is, is the middle class going to pay more? having not seen the details, there's no clear answer to that yet. and the president said in a fox interview that he's hoping health care's failure could actually encourage or push lawmakers to get something done on tax reform. >> if there is a need for some kind of interim step here to stabilize the market, we need a bill the president will actually sign. and i'm not certain yet what the president is looking for here, but i'll be happy to bring a bill to the floor if i know president trump would sign it. >> reporter: that is mitch mcconnell, the top republican on the senate side talking about what lawmakers thought would be a compromise on health care trying to stabilize the market while they figure out a bigger plan. they weren't able to get it done so far, and it looks like democrats aren't willing to compromise at least the top

democrat here, chuck schumer, is saying it's that or nothing. they're not willing to compromise. so health care still stuck. tax reform, they're trying to make a big push for that between now and thanksgiving. frances? >> we'll see where they go from here. thank you. >> a florida community is on edge after a series of three murders over the span of just ten days. police believe the crimes are all linked but are now saying it may not be the work of just one person. and overnight the darkness shadowing this tampa neighborhood was pierced by the light of hundreds of candles as residents marched through the streets honoring the three victims of these brutal murders. nbc's myra rodriguez has more on the investigation. >> reporter: in the seminal heights neighborhood of tampa, police are searching for a possible serial killer. >> they are obviously able to vanish very quickly. >> reporter: vanishing without a trace leaving the community on edge. >> there is no rhyme or reason so we all feel shaken or concerned we could be the next victim. >> reporter: in the past two weeks three people have been

killed within blocks of each other, each walking alone. olkt 9 benjamin mitchell gunned down walking to a bus stop. two weeks later monica hoff a shot and killed in a vacant lot. anthony naiboa shot and killed after getting off at the wrong bus stop. police say although the victims did not know each other, they have linked the murders through their similarities and undisclosed evidence. >> you have my word these cases are connected. >> reporter: is this the work of a serial killer? >> we're not willing to use that term yet because we don't know enough. i have purposely avoided labeling that because i don't want people to focus in on one person. we don't know if it's more than one person, a team of people. >> reporter: for benjamin mitchell's family, his death is hitting them hards. >> it's so farfetched you can't wrap your head around it. you d'antoni think this would be so close to home. >> reporter: police released this surveillance camera footage identifying this individual as a person of interest. but so far no suspect and no

motive. >> we have very little information. we don't know who is doing this. >> reporter: ms. whitley heard the gunshots during the second murder. the body of monday kica hoff a in an empty lot across the street. >> this is too close to home. across the street from your house. i'm up at night looking out the windows trying to see what's going on. it's very scary. >> our thanks to myra rodriguez for that report. >> senate hearing for bergdahl starts today. he is facing life in priz after pleading guilty to endangering comrades after leefrming his post in 2009. the judge is expected to hear testimony about the serviceman who was hurt searching for bergdahl. he was catch toured by the taliban and held captive five years. an exclusive interview by britain's time magazine, he said coming home was harder than the five years he spent as a hostage. he tells the times the taliban was honest enough to say i'm

going to be the guy who is going to cut your throat. here it's the guy i pass in the corridor who could sign me away for life. president trump called him a traitor and suggested he should be shot. when asked about the remarks bergdahl said he's a politician, but i know i can't convince the people who say just string him up and shoot him. so, you just move on. >> more than a month after hurricane maria, puerto rico remains in crisis. the financially strapped island's power grid is still in shambles and millions remain without electricity. over the weekend one of puerto rico's former governors criticized the trump administration's recovery efforts, tweeting what he says is a photo of doctors performing surgery using cell phones as flashlights. nbc's gabe gutierrez has more on puerto ricans are trying to cope with this ongoing disaster. >> this is where all the tables would have been. >> reporter: the restaurant jackie reyes owns in san juan is torn apart. and more than a month after hurricane maria, time is standing still. >> just think about one month

without your income. that puts you like six months behind in your personal economy. >> reporter: across puerto rico's capital, the hum of generators is the sound track of a crippling reality. 80% of the u.s. territory is still without power. many businesses relying on cash and paper instead of credit cards and computers, a modern dark age. jose, a professor at the university of puerto rico, estimates the island has already lost nearly $3 billion in economic output since the storm. >> not just people, but some businesses are also migrating because they cannot operate. >> reporter: more than $70 billion in debt before maria, puerto rico is now mired in even deeper financial quick sand. damages reach up to $95 billion. joaquin's coffer ee shop also has no electricity and he's desperate to get his business running again. >> i've been closed for 33 days.

>> reporter: jackie reyes is now trying to convince her employees not to leave for the u.s. main land. >> it's going to take a little time, but we can get back even better than we were. >> reporter: she may not have power, but she does have hope. gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> now to 16 people who have been arrested in the largest sweep of animal trafficking in southern california. this is a result of a month's long investigation called operation jungle book. the u.s. fish and wildlife service said friday each has been charged with federal crimes of legal importation and transportation of several live species. agents seized some 200 animals including severely under weight bengal tiger and king cobra smuggled inside potato chip canes. >> bill karins has details on the stormy weather on the eastern part of the country. >> been a long time since we said that. it's been a dry fall, warm after a gorgeous weekend.

it's coming to an end. rain in nashville, rain in your early morning commute. it will be eventually be in atlanta. bigger airports could have delays. here's the rainfall totals. this goes over the entire length of the storm here. this would go through tuesday, at least tuesday afternoon, tuesday evening. you notice a couple areas of heavy rain. one is in michigan, one to 3 inches of rain. there is the heavy rain from atlanta into the mountains of north carolina all the way back up to west virginia. and then this is tomorrow. that heavy rain moving up through philadelphia possibly new york city into areas of northern new england. so, for today we are still dry from d.c. northward. that will change into your tuesday. the wet weather today, chicago, e, really chilly air. trite, cleveland, pittsburgh, down to roanoke. you heard of bun gee

jumping. a group of brazilians tried a different kind of stunt. rope jumping. look at that. that's pretty cool. 245 adventurers. they leap from a 98 foot tall bridge tied together by ropes. 1,000 harnesses were used. they swung until they stopped. they either had to jump into the water or climb back up. >> you're tethered to others. >> it's like everybody just slamming into each other. all right, bill, thank you. sterling information for anyone considering an airbnb. some renter's privacy could be compromised. and you look amazing...ly comfortable. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck... that's when you know it's half-washed. add downy to keep your collars from stretching.

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restaurant shows the suv in reverse and crashes into the side of the restaurant. the elderly driver the vehicle was issued citations for reckless driving and improper backing and also taken to the hospital along with the other victims. >> leading the news this morning, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell sharply criticize iz former white house chief strategist steve bannon suggesting that bannon is a specialist at nominating people who lose. the kentucky senator took issue with bannon's pledge to defeat every senate republican up for reelection in 2018 except for ted cruz. bannon argued many gop incumbents are blocking trump from achieving his nationalist agenda. in an interview on "fox news sunday," mcconnell said trying to cook up an issue like this is only going to make it more difficult for us to win in november. >> now to an alert, if your offeror weekend get away, someone could be spying on you, police warn, after hidden cameras were uncovered inside some airbnb rentals and hotels.

nbc correspondent jeff ross enshows you how to find them and protect your privacy. >> reporter: this husband and wife just aren'ted an airbnb in florida. they noticed that smoke detector hanging in the bedroom is actually a hidden camera aimed directly at their bed. the airbnb homeowner now banned and charged with video voirism. the spy cams are so tiny they can fit into anything, from a thumb drive to sunglasses, to a key chain. >> okay. this is an everyday household alarm clock and we have a camera hidden in this. >> i don't see it at all. is there a lens in there? >> yes, there is a lens in there. >> reporter: if fits right into any home. >> completely invisible. >> reporter: think you could spot them? we set up an experiment at this house with the family away. we placed 14 hidden cameras all over. come on in, guys. welcome back to your own home. they're walking around no clue our cameras are watching them. we have eyes on the family in

nearly every room. the kitchen, the living room, walking upstairs. even inside the master bedroom. when they come back downstairs, i have a surprise. we've planted hidden cameras all over this house. >> you did it quickly. we were unsuspecting. >> that's a little scary. >> reporter: so, what can you do to prevent this from happening to your family? our expert says you can buy a radio frequency finder like this one pretty cheap on amazon. we know this camera has wi-fi. we put it here. it has been detected. >> reporter: walk around the hotel room and do this. >> as easy as that, yes. >> reporter: airbnb said cases are rare, but it takes privacy extremely seriously and cameras are never allowed in bathrooms or bedrooms. a new warning so you're not stunned on your next vacation. jeff ross en, nbc news. >> so alarming it is so easy to do. you never know. >> very creepy, very creepy. just ahead, a very famous celebrity wedding crasher tears

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♪ ♪ all right. you recognize that, along with the bride and groom, they were celebrating as newlyweds when katie perry decided to crash the

reception. she attended the janet jackson concert in st. louis. she chronicled the fun on her instagram story. as you can guess, the wedding guests snapped pictures. the couple right there. wedding already, they're going to remember it forever. but even more so they have katie perry. >> if i were the celebrity that would be the most fun to do. just crashing weddings, crashing things. everybody is always happy to see you. >> a thing or two about crashing those weldings. >> that's right. at the box office this weekend tyler perry's boo 2, scaring uptick et sales. the movie beat expectations bring in close to $22 million, well above the 19 million it was expected to take in. the big budget disaster movie geo storm starring gerard butler claimed second place with 13.3 million. meanwhile, the big screen adaptation of steven king's it is still going strong this weekend. it topped $650 million worldwide. >> smart leading up to

halloween, everybody wants to get their spook on. it will do it for you. some of hollywood's biggest a-listers spoke out about the sexual harassment of harvey weinstein. they promised the stars would stop to talk to reporters about the topic instead of just taking photos and heading inside. among them julianne moore who stressed the problem extends beyond hollywood and should be treated as a criminal act. matt damon noted one of the most powerful people of hollywood has been banished which means the tides are changing. the film's director george clooney said this. >> i think we're going to have to get to the point where women feel safe to talk about this, where they feel believed, and where the men who do this don't feel safe. that seems to be the secret to this. it has to be that they can't think that they can get away with this any more. >> glad we're starting to see that. >> and hearing more and more as these voices of these women come out and not just hollywood, all

a krogs the board, too when it's happening. >> important to remember, this is every industry, not just hollywood. just ahead, a meteorologist bill karins with the weather, plus one hollywood film is making a major impact overseas. launching the dreams of its young audience. you're watching "early today." you're a life of unpredictable symptoms. crohn's, you've tried to own us. but now it's our turn to take control with stelara® stelara® works differently for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. before or during treatment, always tell your doctor if you think you have an infection or have flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop any new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion, and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition.

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in the mountains to san diego. it sets us up with the santa ana winds. we have the winds funneling down through the mountains. temperatures will be high, humidity extremely low. it will be over 100 degrees over the next two days. and the humidity is going to be about 5 to 10%. if a fire forms in those conditions, with these winds gusting to 50 miles per hour and these temperatures in this humidity the fire would spread rapidly. we don't want any fires to form. hopefully none will and it won't be an issue, it will just be windy and hot. that's the scary part for fire fighters. if one does it is almost as if they are uncontrollable in conditions like this. the other story today is all the rain through the great lakes, ohio valley and southeast. all eyes on california with what happened two, three weeks ago. >> bill, thank you. still ahead, they worked for nasa and were celebrated in an oscar nominated film. now their stories are inspiring young women around the world.

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when the movie "hidden figures" was released late last year it was praised for its inspiring depiction of three largely unheralded women who worked for nasa at a critical time. it turns out that the film's influence has gone well beyond our shores. here's nbc's chief foreign correspondent andrea mitchell. >> there's no mathematical formula for that. >> reporter: the oscar nominated film "hidden figures" is going global with 80 u.s. embassies around the world flooded by requests for screenings. dozens of countries hoping to inspire their girls to become scientists and engineers. >> there was one female rso. >> reporter: sophia from argentina, one of 50 women brought to the u.s. by the state department, in a program to encourage women with hidden talents in science and math.

>> you can't be what you can't see. and we need strong women role models to be able to identify with them. >> reporter: spending three weeks with american trail blazers like nasa scientist florence todd. >> what made you think that a young girl could do this? >> star trek really inspired me. i thought, wow, i want to work in space. >> reporter: according to the world economic forum, women earn only one-third of undergraduate stem degrees, despite accounting for 60% of college graduates. >> if you go in a program where you see only men, stereotypes are all around the world. >> reporter: florence is no stranger to being the only woman in the room. born in malaysia, she came to the u.s. for college. starting at nasa in the 1980s, working on landmark missions like the famous casini probe to sat earn. what is important about mentoring women from other countries? >> by 2024, there will be almost

a million engineering and computer science jobs. we don't have enough people to do this work. women. >> reporter: so we need women -- >> we need women. national -- just for the national good. >> reporter: an untapped source of badly needed talent brought out of the shadows and into the labs. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> the sunday night super bowl rematch between the atlanta falcons and new england patriots was supposed to be the must-watch game of the season except for one thing. fans could barely see it. a thick fog rolled in during the second half of the game at gillette stadium making it difficult to see the television broadcast. this, of course, led to jokes and speculation about a possible fog gate conspiracy theory on twitter. fans mentioned seeing the patrons buying a fog machine at party city and not being surprised if the fog was part of the patriots' plan to win the game. the final score was never in doubt, though. the patriots won 23-7. >> all right. we thank you for being with us. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. the news continues right here on

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a very good monday morning to you. let's take a peek outside overlooking san francisco. very nice start to our monday morning. things are still hanging on. the heat, i should say, is hanging on. good morning to you, thanks for joining us, i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. laura had it right, i'm nervous. >> don't be nervous. we have had this in waves throughout the summer. we are getting used to it, right? it's going to be another day where our temperatures go way up, relatively quickly around the bay area. look at these high temperatures. gilroy, 90 degrees today. for the east bay, the tri-valley, also looking at the inland