i'd like to thank president trump. it's time to get to work. over the next three month, i'm going to do everything i can to keep america great again. >> i tell you what, can you believe how close this is? >> one side claiming victory, but nbc news says this one is still too close to call, in what many call a bellwether race for the president. breaking overnight, two police officers ambushed, shot aile the vehicle red light. we'll have the latest. fes in t history. of the planet? new normal for much the bizarre police chase that ended cows helped pinpoint and track a suspect on the run.

and meet the 6-year-old who is earning $11 million a year as one of the nation's most popular toy testers. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. an election night nail-biter still too close to call in ohio. the special election in the state's 12th congressional district is neck and neck with democrat danny o'connor trailing republican troy balderson. separated by about 9/10 of a percentage. the winner will replace republican representative pat tiberi who resigned to work for a business group. >> both sides watching this race closely as a barometer for the midterms. the district hasn't elected a democrat since the 1980, but balderson got president trump came to town to nbc's garrett haake has a closer campaign. look atg nights in tias last night. we knew this race would be close. we knew it would go late. we did not know it would end up too close to00 votes separating republican candidate troy

balderson and democratic candidate danny o'connor here in ohio's 12th district. this has been a reliably republican district for more than 30 years. it's elected john kasich, who is now the governor of ohio. republicans just don't lose here. and in fact, they rarely have close races. but in the age of donald trump, a lot of this common knowledge is being turned on its head, and a democrat gave a great race here. but what we're going to find out now is how much of this is transferrable to november. does this race end in a recount, which it's possible once all these ballots are counted. so a race that has transfixed the politicor weekend when president trump inserted himself in it with a rally here in ohio. they count the votes.p, b the w person claiming credit for a victory that isn't quite a victory here yet, donald trump tweeting last night that it was >> credit claimed as usual. garrett haake working overtime for us. thanks. voters headed to the polls

in several key primary, including the kansas gubernatorial matchup. pitting incumbent governor jeff coyler against kris kobach. kobach has a narrow lead of about 700 votes this mornle. he is an immigration hard-liner and served as vice-chairman on president trump's vote fraud commission. he had key endorsements from the nra and kansas political icon bob dole. the victor will face democrat state senator lauilyra nabbed t democratic nomination. meanwhile, no major surprises out of the primaries in michigan, missouri, or breaking news out of new jersey. a manhunt is under way for at least one suspeho ambushed two police officers in camden. fortunately, both officers aren't expected to survive. police say a gunman approached two plains clothes delved inside an unmarked vehicle sitting at a red light and fired as many as 25 rounds in an unprovoked

attack. one of the officers returned fire as the suspect fled the scene in a white van, but police say it's unclear if the suspect was hit. the shooting happening the same night as national night out. it's a nationwide effort to bring police and communities closer together. the camden police chief expressing frustration at the tragic turn of events. >> unfortunately, on a night when we're supposed to be celebrating safety, two of our detectives were engaged as victims. i could tell you every cop in this land would say we'd rather visit us than the citizenry. but it's just an unfortunate event. >> the officers are being treated at a hospi f is under way. mounting legal woes for michael cohen this morning, according to a new report from "the wall street journal." president trump's former personal attorney is under investigation for possible tax fraud. sources familiar with the investigation told the paper that federal prosecutors are looking in the income cohen made from his taxi medallion

business. federal authorities are also investigating a $130,000 hush money payment cohen made to adult film star stormy daniels on behalf of then candidate donald trump in 2016. meanwhile, more courtroom fireworks expected today in the paul manafort trial as rick gates returns to the stand for a third day of testimony. the defense spent day two relentlessly grilling manafort's former right-hand man in an attempt to chip away at his credibility. nbc justice correspondent pete williams was in the courtroom. >> reporter: in two days of ouants the actual amount of money paul manafort made because manafort told him not to let them know how many millions of dollars were paid for the political consulting work they did for ukraine's president viktor yanukovych. when the work dried up and martfell, he was hit with a big tax bill in 2014. he mailed gates, quote, i just saw this, wtf? how could i be blindsided like this stand in gates said he made

up fake documents to help manafort get bank loans on the s houses he bought with all that ukrainian money. but manafort's defense lawyers went on the take. he said he used money he stole from manafort to lead a secret life in london, carrying on an affair in an apartment. and he admitted helping an investor in las vegas falsify financial documents. when he had trouble recalling what he told robert mueller's prosecutors about his past frauds and lies, defense attorney kevin downing said haven't they confronted you with so many lies that you can't remember any of it? after manafort left the trump campaign, gates stayed on to work on the gu there. manafort's lawyer, kevin downing was upbeat at day's end. manort. >> but prosecutors reveal that manafort kept asking for favors who helped him get a loan should be considered for secretary of pete williams, nbc news,

alexandria, virginia. president trump addressed california's historic wildfires while welcoming a host of business leaders to dinner at his new jersey golf club. president trump says he and his administration are monitoring the multiple blazes. >> i'm monitoring the situation very closely. my measure is in constant contact with everything going out in the state. and with the local authorities. >> on twitter mr. trump had previously criticized california authorities claimingad environmental law aees of orange and riverside counties. it's only 5% contained, according to officials. >> that's justul fires scorching california right now, including the mendocino complex inferno. it has exploded into the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history. with those rampant flames showing no signs of stopping, nbc's anne thompson tells us more. >> reporter: wildfires are no longer contained to a season in california.

this is now a year-round battle. >> i think this is the new normal that we're going to see in california. >> fanning the flames, scientists increasingly point to climate change, emissions from cars, planes and power plants making our world warmer. >> you take epic drought. you combine it with high temperatures. you've got all the ingredients for unprecedented wildfires. >> 14 states from alaska to arizona, large fires are burning. researchers at columbia university and the warmer and d conditions more than doubled the fore i the western u.s. since 1984. this summer, europe is burningp where more than 90 people died. record heat there and here caused by a loopy weakened jet stream that's not moving hot air along. and yes, scientists blame climate change too. >> when you melt the ice in the arctic and you change the temperature patterns in the

atmosphere, you actually change the jet stream. and you change it in a way that you slow it down. >> fire and heat altering landscapes in the northern half of the world. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. . police often look to the public for help insuspects on t like this. florida officials were chasing the two suspects in a stolen vehicle when they crashed into a ditch and then build a out and started running on foot. one of the suspects ran into a cow pasture. you can imagine here, and you can see an infrared video. the animals quickly chased after her, corralling her eventually herding her over to authorities. the other suspect was also arrested. a massive water break submerged worcester, massachusetts in over a foot of water. the break inundated most of the city. at least one man stuck in his car had to be rescued. official says water service has been restored to be 50,000 residents. but for some, that water is rusty, and others may still be without any at all. the city says the water, though,

is safe to use. police were warning people to avoid the areas. crews worked to clean up that mess. >> that's rough, with no water and the potential heatwave that's going to be hitting some of us.ns with that. good morning. >> good morning. day three for many people. we added hartford, providence and boston. philadelphia, richmond down to virginia beach. the sweltering heat today. boston will be about 87. the heat index in the low 90s. new york city with 89 and extreme humidity, about 97 in philadelphia. the heat indices about 100 later on this afternoon. we get the cold front coming ro a little relief on thursday. still summer like, butt will ir. and everybody in pretty much the

ohio valley and new england with hit and miss showers this afternoon. and that's a look at your wednesday forecast. >> all right, bill. thank you. new on nbcnews.com this morning, usc's president has officially stepped down amid a sexual abuse scandal involving a former school gynecologist. max nikias initially agreed to resign in may after 200 professors accused him of failing to grasp the severity of the abuse. at the time a resignation date had not been set. federal investigators arrested five people who allegedly smuggled 300,000 pairs of fake air jordans into the new york area. the knockoffs can asset $190 a pop. angelina jolie is accusing her ex-brad pitt of shirking on child support claiming pitt hasn't made any meaningful child support since they separated. it's your skin, and it can protect you from millions of things. so we're here to help you protect your skin.

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account, not takone-off actions to make us feel good in the short-term. in the last few days facebook, youtube and spotify have removed jones. an exclusive nbc news report has revealed a new plan within the white house that could target over 20 million immigrants living in the u.s. legally. immigrants to become citizens or get green cards. that's according to four sources with knowledge of the plan that could be announced by the end of the month. the effort led by stephen miller could make citizenship or legal status difficult to obtain if they or anyone in their household has ever used popular public assistance programs like obamacare or food stamps. and the administration could do this all by itself. it does not need congressional approval. the u.s. trade war with china is escalating with the trump administration announcing it is moving forward with tariffs on $16 billion worth of chinese goods. it will be the second round of tariffs enacted by the u.s. this year. it will place a 25% tax on 279

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they floated all night, and they landed right in my hands. i mean, practically. >> this is what he's talking about. he she needed dorm supplies before starting her freshman career in college. but as a single mom she wasn't sure how she would get what she needed. that's when she wrote a letter to god and attached it to some balloons. jeremy jones who we heard from found the balloons while working at a nearby construction site. he then tracked her down and delivered a comforter and a mini fridge right to her home. talk about paying it forward. really doing the work of god. >> yeah. talk about having hope. >> yes. >> that's where't hurt. look what happened. >> love that we're hearing more

and more about the we hope this next person will help a lot of other people. kylie jenner is on track to be the youngest self-maid billionaire was, but a stung analysis proves just how rich she really is. according to forbes, the beauty mogul made over $166 million between june of 2017 and june of 2018. that breaks down to roughly $19,000 every hour. the median annual salary of a typical american worker is around $45,000. but jenner, she can make that in about two hours. and how much would it take an average american to make what she makes in just one day? ten whole years. how about that for some motivation as you get your clothes on and get ready to go to work. >> what is she going to do when she is in her 30ss and mid life? it's unbelieve to believe me. >> her and jeff bezos are going to tell us all what to do. here is a job you can stick your teeth into. reynolds wrap is seeking a chief

grilling master. one person will spend a week traveling to u.s. cities known for barbecuing while posting dishes on the company's website and social media channels. the lucky worker will receive a $10,000 stipend, plus prepaid travel and lodging. reynolds is accepting applications on its website through august 13th. >> it's all fun and games until you come back two weeks later. >> and you're 20 pounds heavier. it's goingpeo right there. coming up, a shark scare. the dangerous close encounter at sea caught on camera. sea caught on camera. you're watching ly (harmonica interrupts) how they could save 15% or more by... (harmonica interrupts) ...by just calling or going online to geico.com. (harmonica interrupts) (sighs and chuckles) sorry, are you gonna... (harmonica interrupts) everytime. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

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later this evening, remnants of the green comet will zip by earth, leaving behind a huge dust cloud twice the size of jupiter that stargazers might see. nicknamed the incredible hulk, the comet was discovered back in 2017, but it broke upy i as it t e visibility is really hard. the comet has ever come to>> th. ce alternative that at all. >> it's just a layer of smoke that covers so much of the west. blocking the sun. so we're still hot today, but we got rid of the excessive heat warns in phoenix and los angeles. death valley, barstow. areas to the north and the northwest, this is our two-day heatwave. it's going to be very impressive today. portland, excessive heat warning. interior section of the northwest. 102 in boise. and seattle 93. that's hot for seattle. >> ah, seattle. >> thank you, bill. still ahead, this guy takin

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at an age when most kids are learning how to ad and subtract, there is one 6-year-old boy who is busy multiplying his millions. he is already a toy tycoon with a huge following on social media. now he is going into business with a chain every shopper knows. nbc correspondent jo ling kent has the incredible story. >> right here! >> reporter: the world's biggest retailer is turning to a 6-year-old named ryan for help. the popular toy reviewing youtube star of ryan's world with his parents, showing off the new lane of toys he's created for walmart. the company trying to take advantage of his nearly one billion monthly video views that generate an estimated $11 million a year, making the first

grader the youngest person on forbes list of highest paid youtube stars. and just the latest social media influencer, jumping from their own pages into the retail world. >> when it comes to youtube in particular, i think that retailers and brands are really trying to target the younger demographic, younger generation. kids really are trusting influencers because they see them as being relatable, slightly aspirational. but really, they consider them a trusted resource. >> reporter: instagram star ariel will sell a line of clothing at in order stram. even dogs like aspen, the followers in retriever hocks products for garmin. >> a lot of people are interested in the gear i'm using. >> 40% of shoppers say they've purchased an item after seeing an influencer use it on social media. 17 to 40-year-olds would rather by a product based on a noncelebrity. so far it seems to be working.

some of ryan's new toys at walmart have already sold out. reporting for us. it is the world of the influencer now. job description, >> that's right. kylie jenner's got somebody right behind her. 6 years old. amazing. something right othe movie jaws. caught on camera, a shark researcher getting closer to his subject than bargained before when a great white suddenly jumped up and snapped at him. shark sightings have forced a number of beach closures. everybody's favorite hippo now has a book about her life. fiona the hippo follows the hippopotamus from birth after te cincinnati zoo. she beat the odds and lives a full, happy life, inspiring millions around the world with her journey. >> that's cool. bringing attention to a species classified as vulnerable. everybody wins. thanks for watching "early today." i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm frances rivera.

keep it right here. more news is straight ahead. ad

view from dublin good morning and thank you for joining us. i )m marcus washington. and i )m kris sanchez -- in for laura garcia. toss to weather. good morning. hopefully laura isn't trying to get outside time with the kids. >> it is going to be tough today. we are taking a live look outside. we are goi to sfortunately it w today as far as air quality