two journalists were killed covering monday's severe weather and one national guardsman is missing. and today alberto's downpour will be felt by millions. president trump raising eyebrows with a memorial day tweet as the nation honors its best and bravest e. we now more about the man who bravely scaled four stories of a building to save a toddler from almost certain peril. today over 8,000 starbucks will close for anti-bias training but a new nbc news poll finds 64% say racism is a major problem in our society. but that's not all. meet the bus riding high school senior who walked home alone from graduation only to get the biggest surprise of his life. "early today" starts right now.

good tuesday morning, i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. tragedy struck a south carolina community when a local news anchor and photo journalist were both killed after a tree fell on their suv as they were covering heavy rain in the area. anchor mike mccormick and photographer aaron smeltzer were both a part of wyff, the nbc affiliate in greenville, south carolina. >> all across the south, severe weather has triggered states of emergency as subtropical storm alberto rumbles on to land in florida. nbc's kerry sanders is there. >> reporter: with the surf up, lifeguards are encouraging people to stay out of the water even though most of the storm has passed through, there are still deadly rip currents. alberto hitting the florida pan handle with wind gusts of up to 59 miles per hour. dangerous rip currents. and up to four inches of rain. the slow moving storm hitting five days before the official start of the hurricane season.

>> it's not a good sign that we're getting named storms before the hurricane season officially starts. unsettling. >> reporter: governors in florida, alabama, and mississippi declaring states of emergency. 34 million under flood or flash flood watches. tornadoes a possibility. residents in low-lying areas ordered to evacuate before bridges close due to high winds. >> i'll tell you what, i don't think i'm going to have -- oh, oh! >> it has really gotten rough. the waves are just running over the streets. >> reporter: the impact is far from over. the new concern, inland flooding along already rising rivers as the very wet subtropical storm continues to move north. the inland flooding is indeed the greatest concern. much of the soil in is not as porous as the sandy soil in florida and the fear is as those rivers continue to swell, they'll go over the banks and possibly impact residents in their homes. frances? >> kerry sanders, thanks for the

report. a frantic search is under way for 39-year-old army national guardsman edison herman, who was swept away during the catastrophic flooding that ripped through el i cot city, maryland. >> as the water recedes. the town faces a monstrous cleanup. it's been less than two years from rebuilding after another devastating flash flood. kristen dahlgren has the latest for us. >> reporter: good morning, frances. residents still haven't been allowed to get back into the downtown area. it's been deemed too dangerous. that as the search continues for one missing man. in el i cot city maryland, a desperate search. >> i'm out here looking for him or trying to look for him because i know he would do the same for me. >> reporter: edison herman, the 39-year-old air force veteran and national guardsman was enjoying lunch in the historic downtown when a flash flood turned main street into a f torrent. >> a lady approached and indicated she was trying to find her cat. he along with some other folks

went back to assist her, and unfortunately during that effort, they saw him go under the water and not surface. >> reporter: the water moved with such force, this old stone courthouse here for nearly two centuries was no match. watch as this man barely escapes. cars tossed like toys. first floor businesses flooded. many trapped. >> there's nothing we can do until somebody comes and gets us. >> reporter: this road completely washed away. callie harris broke down seeing the devastation left behind. she was in her third floor apartment and captured these videos as the water threatened. >> everything started collapsing and cars started coming down. inventory started coming out. windows started breaking. >> reporter: the downtown devastated. for some there is very little to come home to. >> so many businesses, so many residents, just everything is just taken away from them. their livelihoods are gone. >> reporter: many had just reopened after another catastrophic flood in 2016. at the time it was called a 1,000-year flood.

but two years later, officials say this one is worse. >> can't just be really bad luck. >> haw often do you get, you know, seven, eight, nine inches of rain in a four, five-hour period. >> reporter: for many storm weary residents left to pick up the pieces, it's too much to bear. >> you don't know if you'll stay? >> i don't know. i don't know how i could after this. it's terrifying. >> thanks to kristen dahlgren for the report. just two short weeks, the president of the united states could find himself face to feis with kim jong-un for an historic summit. we say could because we just don't know. the president called off that june 12th summit last week only to say it could be back on again with his own staff operating as if all systems are go. with american teams dispatched to both north korea and singapore to hammer out the details. this as the president confers with another world leader as the talks approach. let's go to nbc's janis mackey frayer in seoul for more this morning. >> reporter: good morning,

phillip. we're keeping watch on several diplomatic moves this morning. that may determine whether the june 12th summit can actually go ahead. there's a u.s. delegation looking at logistics in singapore. they're also joined by some north korean officials. as well, a former spy chief was spotted in beijing apparently boarding a flight for new york. importantly we have the u.s. delegation meeting directly as north korean officials at the dmz about 35 miles from here and they have the tough job. they need to hammer out an agenda that will produce a workable agreement at the summit and do it winthin a couple of days. it can't even be determined what it is north korea will be willing to talk about let alone agree to. giving up just a few of its nuclear warheads, so-called hostage nukes, would mean giving up a lot of information about its nuclear capabilities, about the technology that has brought them to this point. this nuclear deterrent is kim

jong-un's life line. it's why trust remains a huge issue for kim. that's what he told south korean president moon jae-in on saturday when they had that surprise meeting at the dmz. a meeting that was so important to kim, he had to have it in person. whatever it is he wanted to suss, they couldn't do it over the phone on that hotline the two just established. phillip? >> thank you for those latest developments. an amazing rescue caught on camera in france. a 4-year-old boy dangling for dear life from a fifth floor balcony. a man they're calling spider-man scaled the building, saving the child and lifting him to safety. the man is a migrant from mali in northwest africa who made the dangerous journey across the mediterranean to italy, then france. he was honored by french president emmanuel macron, offered french citizenship, and even a job with the paris fire department. that 4-year-old boy's father had been out grocery shopping and

playing pokemon go instead of watching his child. in hawaii, kilauea's eruptive activity is growing. officials are knocking on doors warning residents to flee their homes as the lava closes in. hawaii's civil defense says the evacuation orders are due to the danger from the newest fissures, fissures which keep forming. here's nbc's miguel almaguer with the latest. >> reporter: more destructive than ever, waves of lava now smothering at least 82 structures. as the desperate watch the unstoppable. >> it is tragic. in another way, it's really beautiful because it's -- it's absolute destruction and creation at the same time. >> reporter: new eruptions at kilauea's crater, shooting plumes of ash 15,000 feet with new fissures exploding seemingly every day. this is just one of the latest massive fissures to open up, and geologists say for now, it shows

no sign of slowing down. with lava now seeping over a geothermal power plant, for now authorities say they've averted disaster. no explosions. the marines are ready for mass evacuations. a disaster getting more dire each day. miguel almaguer, nbc news, pahoa, hawaii. starbucks is closing nationwide today weeks after a racial incident that put the company in the hot seat. an employee at a location in philadelphia called police on two black men waiting inside. now starbucks is shutting its doors early at over 8,000 locations including stores and corporate offices for an afternoon of what they're calling racial bias training. an nbc news survey monkey online poll shows 64% of americans think racism is a problem. according to the same survey, over two-thirds of people believe police don't treat all groups equally. the training affects nearly

175,000 employees. be sure to tune in to msnbc tonight for an hour-long town hall. everyday racism in america. hosts joy reid and chris hayes speak to members of the philadelphia community and tackle race relations across the country. let's toss it over to bill karins who has the latest on alberto. >> good morning. we still have a flood threat. just because it's a depression doesn't really matter. it's always been about the rain. we're going to track the storm. the only thing that really matters is near the center of the storm is where we'll have the heaviest rainfall. watch out birmingham. eventually this will slide up to the great lakes. flash flood watch for 29 million people. flash flood warning in southern portions of alabama this morning. the heaviest rains during the day today will be from areas of montgomery up to

isolated totals up to five inches. hot from grand rapids to minneapolis but cooling rains coming your way tomorrow. the heat's also a huge story. we'll talk about that coming up. >> good for the kids out for the summer. they can dip in those pools. fast forwarding to your tuesday, president trump is expected to meet with his housing and health and humanser departing to tennessee where he will hold a campaign rally. the supreme court could announce decisions on up to four key cases today. decisions on gerrymandering, unions, abortion, and the president's so-called immigration ban and also gay rights in the form of a wedding cake all looming. and the eu is on the verge of banning plastics and straws and cutlery after the european commission presented a proposal in its fight against plastic waste. soaked the sun does not care.

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thunderous applause was heard ringing out at salt lake city international airport after josh holt and his wife touched down, returning back home for the first time since they were released from that venezuelan jail over the weekend. a throng of overjoyed family and friends were right there with them, waiting to greet them. the couple spent the last few days at walter reed hospital in maryland for observation after landing in the u.s. on saturday. >> great reunion. there is an ur jernt warning this morning from the fbi. if have an internet router in your home or small business, reset it. turn it off, flip the switch, whatever you need to do. give it a moment and then turn it back on. the feds say the concern here is a malware system linked to russia. it has already affected hundreds of thousands of routers worldwide. the easiest way to combat is simply reboot your router. this is a story we have become all too familiar with. warriors, cavaliers, nba finals. for now a fourth year in a row.

first the warriors had to get past the houston rockets. the rockets out to an early ten-point lead in the first half. they were up by 11 at the end of the first half. behind a 34-point night from kevin durant, the warriors went on to win the game 101-92. game one of the nba finals starts this thursday, 9:00 p.m. in oakland. from the hardwood to the ice, the washington capitals and the vegas golden knights faced off in game one of the stanley cup finals. it is the golden knights' first year as a team and they defied the odds by making it to the cup. the game was tied in the third period. the golden knights took game one 6-4. it was a battle between two powerhouse schools in the 2018 men's ncaa lacrosse final. the number 4 seed duke blue devils took on number 3 yale bulldogs. yale pulled out the win 13-11. they become national champions for the first time in school history and the first ivy league

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29th, 1917, john fitzgerald kennedy, or jfk was born in brookline, massachusetts. the 35th president of the united states led the country during the height of the cold war until

his assassination in 1963. and in 1943, norman rockwell's rendition of the iconic character, rosie the riveter debuted on the post. in 1953, edmund hillary of new zealand made history when he summited mt. everest, becoming the first explorers to complete the treacherous climb, inspiring many others to do the same. today students at noblesville middle school in indiana will head back to class after that near fatal shooting last week. now the hero teacher credited with saving countless lives after disarming the suspected student gunman who had barged into class, guns blazing, is speaking out. opening up about the horrific events as they unfolded in his classroom and the steps that he says he had to take to save his own students. still he says he doesn't want to be called a hero even as the parents, students and faculty in the community refuse to call him anything but. nbc's ron mott has that for us.

>> jason seaman! >> reporter: not one to seek the spotlight, science teacher jason seaman couldn't avoid being the center of attention in noblesville. >> special tribute to science teacher jason seaman. >> reporter: a grateful community turning out to say thanks to him and all teachers at west middle school. even here, he stood off to the side. >> i want to make it clear that my actions on that day, in my mind, were the only acceptable actions i could have done given the circumstances. >> reporter: seaman's seventh grade students were taking a test when police say one of them asked to be excused, then returned with two guns and opened fire. 13-year-old ella whistler recovering, hit multiple times as was seaman when he rushed the shooter. >> an unbelievably brave colleague entered my room, was absolutely crucial in keeping ella alert and calm as we waited for help to arrive. i can't say enough how proud of ella i am and how we all should be. >> reporter: an unidentified

male student is in custody. three days later, parents still shaken by how bad it could have been without jason seaman's courage. >> he's an absolute hero. i can't believe what he did. i can't wait to get the opportunity to shake his hand. >> we're just forever grateful because other lives could have been impacted terribly if he wouldn't have stepped in. >> i deeply care for my students and their well being. that is why i did what i did that day. >> reporter: a reluctant hero. ron mott, nbc news, noblesville, indiana. still ahead, a look at the start of your week and a soggy and hot forecast. you're watching "early today." m in no hurry to make anything happen. m neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair® works in just one week. with the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to work on fine lines and wrinkles. one week? that definitely works!

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don't hold back... ...ask your dermatologist if cosentyx can help you find clear skin that lasts. welcome back. yesterday we had over a dozen tornadoes most of them coming out of areas with a storm system near colorado. today that storm system a more severe weather, we have 6 million people at risk. strongest storms besides tornadoes could produce damaging hail and winds. how about those high temperatures? yesterday we hit 100 in minneapolis. 94 today. cooling off with thunderstorms later. oklahoma city, dallas, san antonio, everyone in the middle of the country very warm. ivanka trump's business dealings with china. plus a high school senior gets a surprise of a lifetime. it's worth sticking around for. you're watching "early today." soaked

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watchdog groups are scrutinizing first daughter ivanka trump this morning after the chinese government approved seven trademark applications for her company. just days after the president said he would assist a chinese tell com that has admitted to breaking u.s. sanctions on iran and north korea. the watchdog group claims the timing of the approvals raises significant questions about corruption. we've got word this morning from former president george h.w. bush who remains hospitalized near his home in maine with low blood pressure and fatigue. he tweeted, very much regret missing the memorial day parade today in kennebunkport and am forever grateful not only to those patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation but also the gold star families whose heritage is imbued with their honor and her rowism.

now to a heartwarming story out of alabama after a teen got a special graduation gift when a photo of him walking home from graduation went viral. [ applause ] >> reporter: cory patrick all smiles after radio show host ricky smiley gave him this new suv. celebrities tyrese, mike eps helped with the car give away too. this 19-year-old from birmingham caught their attention and so many others after his photo went viral. cory in full cap and gown took the bus to his high school graduation. all year long he got up at 4:00 in the morning to walk to the bus stop to get to school after moving out of the area. his family didn't have a car. until now. his mother so proud. >> oh, that's amazing. a brand-new car. you got a jeep, buddy. >> reporter: a humble kid with

few words, but a huge smile that says it all. >> thank you, everybody. >> reporter: ricky smiley barely able to contain his excitement. yeah! >> reporter: he says as soon as he heard cory's story, he had to help. >> crying. i just broke down. i don't know. i'm getting emotional now thinking about it. >> reporter: smiley says he doesn't just run a radio show but a ministry. >> should be a picture of him with his cap and gown on hanging on the wall of every single high school in the country with the word "determination." >> wow. we thought we should add that cory still has one thing to do before he can take full advantage of that gift. little small detail. he's still got to get a driver's license. >> there's that. >> small little detail. >> i'm sure he's motivated to get that done. if eating were an olympic sport, joey chest nut would be a gold medalist. he took on some stiff competition in his latest shrimp eating competition. he had eight minutes to scarf down as many as possible. he could not be stopped.

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lwelcome to tuesday morning. may feel like monday for some about an extra day off. a lovely look outside this morning. thanks for joining us, i'm laura ga garcia. >> i'm scott mcgrew. marcus has the day off. >> pore some it's a short week. it's been so hot and that heat continues today, just a few degrees lower in a few spots as we start out this morning looking live in san jose, people already up and out the door, quite a few cars and as we go to evergreen, we're going to start out with those temperatures in the low 60s, reaching low 80s by early afternoon. let's go to martinez. it's going to be inhe