they had me stomping around screaming with anger! up in my area of the white house where i live with my wife and son, barron. they had me screaming, shouting like a lunatic. >> president trump calling out the press, who reported his temper was volcanic as he tries to figure out which person on his staff wrote that scathing anonymous op-ed. supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh dodges questions on presidential power and the mueller investigation. but will that stop him from being confirmed? from college athlete to run of hollywood's most sought after actors, the man who turned down

the role of "star wars's" han solo and die hard's john mclean. a look back at the legendary burt reynolds. plus the outrageous details of just where that go fund me $400,000 actually went. "early today" starts right now. good friday morning. i'm marlie hall. >> and i'm phillip mena. raising the stakes ahead of the midterm elections. at a fiery late-night rally in billings, montana president trump tore into democrats, calling them left-wing haters. he also implored supporters to go vote in november, telling them his presidency could depend on it. >> i don't even bring it up because i view it as something that, you know -- they like to use the impeach word. impeach trump. maxine waters, we will impeach him. but he didn't do anything wrong. it doesn't matter. we will impeach him! >> we'll worry about that if it ever happens. but if it does happen it's your fault because you didn't go out to vote. >> the president also continued

his attacks on the anonymous senior official behind a "new york times" op-ed. over two dozen senior officials have released statements denying that they are behind the essay. for more on that let's bring in nbc's tracey potts. hi there, tracie. >> most of those officials you just saw are cabinet members saying they were not the person who wrote this scathing editorial about president trump and his decision-making and the so-called small resistance of people on the inside trying to keep america safe. now, at that rally last night president trump talked about this. he was reportedly volcanic when the news broke. at the rally the president criticized not only the content and the person who wrote it but "the new york times" for publishing it. >> the latest act of resistance is the op-ed published in the failing "new york times" by an

anonymous -- anonymous gutless coward. >> unelected deep state operatives who defy the voters to push their own secret agendas are truly a threat to democracy itself. >> now, here on capitol hill and at the white house there are calls for the anonymous writer on the inside to resign, certainly to come forward and pen that editorial. but "the new york times" says they are not revealing the name. meantime, rudy giuliani, the president's lawyer, is saying that president trump will not answer questions about obstruction in the russia investigation. back to you. >> tracie, thank you. it is day four in the bitter confirmation battle for supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. this morning the senate judiciary committee will question witnesses about the judge's record. day three's marathon q&a session ended just before midnight. kavanaugh spent 14 hours in the

hot seat getting grilled by democrats over his opinions on abortion and other hot-button issues. the new jersey senator cory booker stole the spotlight, releasing dozens of confidential documents on kavanaugh. his risky gambit drawing the ire of republicans, who called it irresponsible. nbc's chief justice correspondent pete williams has more. >> reporter: with frustration building over access to documents marked confidential from brett kavanaugh's time in the white house, democrats began making them public anyway despite warnings that breaking senate rules could lead to expulsion. >> i'm going to release the e-mail about racial profiling, and i understand that that -- the penalty comes with potential ousting from the senate. >> reporter: provoking this dig about senator cory booker's apparent political ambitions. >> running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the senate or of the confidentiality of the documents that we are privy to. >> reporter: other democrats jumped in. >> it is unlike any process i have ever seen. >> we are literally trying to

get at the truth here. >> reporter: among the documents this one from 2003 about a draft white house op-ed involving abortion. the article said it's widely accepted by legal scholars that roe v. wade is settled law. but kavanaugh wrote he's not sure that all legal scholars refer to roe as settled because the supreme court could always overrule it. kavanaugh said he was making a very narrow point. >> i thought the op-ed should be accurate about what -- in describing legal scholars. >> reporter: he also denied that he's ever talked to anyone at the law firm of mark kasowitz, a former lawyer for president trump, about the mueller investigation after being pressed by senator kamala harris. >> be sure about your answer, sir. >> reporter: his answer, no. >> and i haven't had any inappropriate conversations about that investigation with anyone. i've never given anyone any hints, forecasts, previews, winks, nothing about my view as

a judge. >> reporter: with the hearings almost over, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell is now predicting that brett kavanaugh will be confirmed by the end of the month in time to take a seat on the supreme court when it convenes october 1st. phillip? >> and we'll all be watching. pete, thank you. the lights dimmed at the famous chinese theater in los angeles as the country mourns the loss of legendary actor burt reynolds. the star passed away at the age of 82 with family by his side. he is survived by his son. at one point reynolds was hollywood's top-grossing star every year from 1978 through 1982. with classics like "deliverance," "smokey and the bandit," and later "boogie nights." here's nbc's cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: on thursday morning at a florida hospital actor burt reynolds died of a heart attack. this is how we remember him. burt reynolds is as much a part of american culture as hamburger on the 4th of july.

he starred in an astounding 90 movies and 300 television shows. he had a knack for comedy in films like "smokey and the bandit." >> you've got a great profile. >> yeah, i do, don't i? especially from the side. >> reporter: and for more serious fare. >> where's the -- >> reporter: his louis medlock in the thriller "deliverance." >> we get connected up with that body and the law, this thing's going to be hanging over us the rest of our lives. >> reporter: left no doubt he once said in either the public's mind or his own that he could act. >> to me the best acting, the very best acting, is the kind of acting that looks easy. >> reporter: burton reynolds jr. was born 82 years ago. when a knee injury made a football career impossible, reynolds turned to acting. the rest, as they say, is history. >> we've come too far together to stop now. >> reporter: for five years between 1978 and 1982 reynolds was the world's highest-grossing

movie star. "boogie nights," made when he was in his 60s, got him a golden globe and an oscar nomination. though he said he had mixed feelings about the film. he often joked he turned down roles he wished he'd said yes to. han solo in "star wars." bruce willis's role in "die hard." and james bond. >> this has been a long journey for me. i'm very, very happy. >> reporter: over the years reynolds was linked with many famous women. >> as far as being a playboy is concerned, i don't think i deserve that reputation. >> reporter: though he was the first man to pose for a centerfold in "cosmo." he had a long-term relationship with dinah shore, 20 years his senior. married judy karn and loni anderson, with whom he had a son. but earlier this year a bit of a surprise when he looked back on his life with hoda kotb. >> who would you consider the love of your life? >> i would say sally. i wanted her really bad for

"smokey." and they said, well, she's not sexy. and i said, you don't get it. talent is sexy. >> reporter: and those are two subjects burt reynolds knew a lot about. this evening sally field released the following statement. "my years with burt never leave my mind. he will be in my history and my heart for as long as i live. rest, buddy." back to you, marlie and phillip. >> thank you, cynthia, for that report. firefighters in northern california continue to battle the massive delta fire, which has prompted multiple road closures and evacuations. six fires are burning in the state. altogether they're covering more than 500,000 acres of land. let's go to nbc's miguel almaguer. >> oh, my god! i want to go! >> reporter: exploding across the hills near the california-oregon border, the so-called delta fire tripling in size. 300-foot flames burning along i-5 before leaping the

interstate. >> that just caught on fire! we cannot stay right here! >> reporter: trapped, this couple capturing the terrifying moments as drivers abandon their cars and big rigs catch fire. some 45 miles of freeway shut down as the inferno closed in. >> brandon, we've got to get out and walk. >> reporter: triggering evacuations, the blaze is engulfing mountain ridges and could create its own weather. racing out of control and unchecked. a miracle police say no one was killed. this firefight still under way. a wall of flames jumping an interstate and now threatening homes. miguel almaguer, nbc news. we've finally reached the u.s. open ladies' final, and it's going to be a battle between old school and new school. 20-year-old naomi osaka continues to rewrite history by becoming the first japanese woman to make it to a grand slam

final. she beat madison keys in straight sets to advance to the championship match on saturday. she moves on to face serena williams. after a shaky start williams cruised past her opponent in straight sets. she returns to a major final for the 31st time, still searching for that 24th grand slam title. the two are set to square off tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. now to some football. where the nfl season kicked off in philadelphia. the crowd fired up as they raised their first super bowl banner in the team's 57-year history. the game, though, got off to a bit of a slow start. atlanta led at the half 6-3. but after invoking their famous philly special play the eagles found their rhythm. they scored the first touchdown of the season. that is jay ajayi. he continued the charge, bullying his way into the end zone there for another score. from there the defense put the nail in the coffin. philly wins the opener 18-12. and bill karins is here with some weather news. good morning. >> still watching the flash

flood threat. just added some areas of ohio. now up to 15 million people at risk for flash flooding as we go through the weekend. the heaviest rain today will be areas of arkansas, missouri into saturday. the heavy rain goes into illinois into indiana. we'll see some rain in the mid-atlantic and some thunderstorms lingering in areas of texas. by the time we get to sunday the heavy rain threat shifts into ohio, western pennsylvania and up to areas of buffalo. so it's kind of the ghost of gordon along with the cold front and that's going to be a recipe ally we'll still have a chance at some storms today from west virginia all the way through virginia in the mid-atlantic. when we come back, we'll talk about florence, which could be a problem along the east coast next week. >> see you in a bit. thanks, bill. two young boys in maine had a reunion for the books this

week. >> there's someone here to see you. >> hi, jake. >> master sergeant daniel redman surprised his two sons in their classrooms after a year-long deployment in korea. jacob and jason in fifth and seventh grade had no idea their dad was coming home. >> love that. >> those kids are so excited. >> coming up, the world's largest hotel chains give their employees a way to check in and stay safe. plus crack down on conspiracy. the latest tech titan to ban alex jones. kids and parents don't always agree.

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darcy, berating him for about ten minutes. info wars did not immediately respond to requests for comment. the world's largest hotel companies have announced workers will be given portable panic buttons to alert security personnel if they feel they are in danger. unite hire, a labor union that represents hospitality employees across the nation, says more than 50% of hotel housekeepers in seattle alone have endured some type of sexual harassment. the panic button will be rolled out nationwide in hotels such as marriott, hilton, and hyatt by 2020. rapper nicki minaj has risen to the defense of former cosby show actor geoffrey owens, who recently went viral after social media shamed the star when he was spotted in photos working at trader joe's. minaj has promised to donate $25,000 to owens. director tyler perry already offered him a job. and now nicki minaj is just the latest of many celebrities showing their support. on her radio show minaj said she was disgusted by the attempt at job shaming, pointing to how

challenging the entertainment industry can be. >> more good things for geoffrey owens. i love it. >> we'll be right back. just ahead, italy says ciao to its first starbucks. and paul mccartney spreads his wings in new york city. his big plan for a secret show. you're watching "early today." u. and your sister-in-law's... tennis partner's... chatty coworker's... youngest daughter's... entire judo class. one shot can make a world of difference. walgreens has specially trained pharmacists, that know which flu shot is right for you. protecting the world... over 60 million flu shots and counting. starts with protecting yours. walgreens trusted since 1901. bye, mom. thanks for breakfsat, mom. with quality ingredients like roasted hazelnuts and cocoa, nutella is sure to bring a smile to breakfast time.

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today beatles legend paul mccartney releases his latest album titled "egypt station."

and he'll also be giving a secret concert tonight in new york. the icon is joining forces with youtube originals to livestream the concert via his channel. on twitter mccartney announced fans can use the lyft app with the code paul nyc for a chance to win some of those tickets. ahead of the album release sir mccartney made an appearance on "the tonight show with jimmy fallon" where he and the host surprised some unsuspecting fans. >> hi, guys. want to see a magic trick? [ squeals ] paul mccartney! >> that was some magic trick. >> how come nothing cool like that happens when we get in the elevators at 30 rock? >> there's still time. the world's biggest coffee chain is coming to italy. starbucks is opening an upscale roastery and cafe in milan, the first in the country. company execs say they hope to offer a premium experience with over 100 coffee beverages as well as ice creams, pastries,

and cocktails. but the true test is whether italians will be on board. an espresso at the new starbucks will cost nearly double the usual price at other cafes. and italy invented espresso. so it will be interesting to see how it's received. >> and they're going to charge more. i can see where they're coming from. it's like taco bell opening up in mexico city and charging even more for it. still ahead, a new twist in the legal fight between a homeless man and the couple who started a go fund me campaign to help him. you're watching "early today" on a friday. mean a trip back to the doctor's office just for a shot. but why go back there... when you can stay home with neulasta onpro? strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. in a key study neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17% to 1%, a 94% decrease. neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the day after chemo and is used by most patients today. neulasta is for certain cancer patients receiving strong chemotherapy. do not take neulasta if you're allergic to it or neupogen (filgrastim).

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do you love mystery? then you'll love "clue," white house edition. can you find the anonymous staffer who wrote "the new york times" op-ed? who did it? where? and how? was it john kelly in the oval office with a typewriter? was it stephen miller in his crypt on an animal skin? was it eric trump with his head stuck in a banister on his own hand? or did they all do it? clue, white house edition, from the makers of hungry hungry muellers. >> well done. well done. we have tropical storm florence, was a hurricane, should go back to hurricane in the days ahead. why we're concerned. because the hurricane center does have this going south to bermuda somewhere near the east coast in about six days from now. we'll be right back here on "early today."

jimmy's gotten used to his whole room smelling like sweaty odors. yup, he's gone noseblind. he thinks it smells fine, but his mom smells this... luckily for all your hard-to-wash fabrics... ...there's febreze fabric refresher. febreze doesn't just mask, it eliminates odors you've... ...gone noseblind to. and try febreze unstopables for fabric. with up to twice the fresh scent power, you'll want to try it... ...again and again and maybe just one more time. indulge in irresistible freshness. febreze unstopables. breathe happy.

time now to check in with willie geist to see what's coming up on "sunday today." willie? >> good morning, guys. good to see you. this week on "sunday today" my guest is lenny kravitz. i sat down with the rock star to talk about how his latest album came to him in his sleep, literally. we also get into the famous spots in new york city where he fell in love with music as a boy and a definition of cool from one of the coolest people on the planet. our sunday sit-down with lenny kravitz, plus the latest as always in news and politics. this weekend on "sunday today." you can catch us in the morning or set your dvr and watch us anytime. for now we'll send it back to you, phillip and marlie, and we will see you on sunday morning. >> all right, willie, we will see you then.

now to a new twist in the saga of a homeless man who did a good deed, the couple who raised $400,000 for him on go fund me, and their ugly falling out. the couple is now facing new troubles after police showed up at their door on thursday. nbc's kristen dahlgren has the latest. >> reporter: what started as an act of kindness could land a new jersey couple in jail. >> would you talk to us? >> reporter: kate mcclure leaving her home as police executed a search warrant. part of a criminal investigation, trying to find the money mcclure and her boyfriend mark d'amico raised for homeless veteran johnny bobbitt. >> he is our family. >> reporter: their friendship started when the homeless man gave mcclure his last $20 after she ran out of gas. as thanks the couple started a go fund me page that raised $400,000. they say they gave bobbitt some but told megyn kelly they were worried about him buying drugs. >> because we saw the pattern that was developing. >> reporter: bobbitt sued, demanding all the donated money. a judge ordering the couple turn it over. but bobbitt's attorney says he's

been told there's nothing left. >> i'm not sure that i accept ha it's all gone. >> reporter: bobbitt's attorney has criticized the couple for taking vacations. they denied using any of the donations. so far no charges have been filed while go fund me says it's working with law enforcement to ensure bobbitt receives his money. money that thousands donated, touched by a sweet story that has become a bitter battle. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. we've got a question for you. how long is too long to wait before responding to a text message? well, according to a new paper from google, waiting more than 20 minutes to respond to a text message could be seen as rude. the researchers shadowed the texting habits of over 100 people from various countries and also conducted interviews with them. they found that to a sender a late response can feel like a snub while receivers of a text message typically feel pressured to respond immediately to avoid offending the sender. that is why you never turn on the reader updates.

>> i don't get offended if i don't get an answer right away. >> you don't? >> because if it were urgent i would just call. >> one of the remaining few in this country right here. thanks for watching. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm marlie ha. have a gllread lib live picture

-101 in san jose- good morning and thank you for joining us. i )m marcus washington. and i )m laura garcia. just spotted af