the democrats are playing a con game. c-o-n. a con game. >> is there anything -- >> they know it's a con game. they know he's high quality. >> i come back to the need for an investigation. what are they afraid of really? i can tell you what they might be afraid of, but it would reveal. >> one step closer to thursday's all-important hearings and this morning's breaking details on republicans' new female outside counsel who will lead the questioning. my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay.

>> a wave of laughter catching the commander in chief off guard on the world stage as he lays out his "america first" vision. to bill cosby's new reality as he wakes up behind prison bars for the first time as he faces a minimum of three years incarcerated. a new security system being tested in train stations right now that could be the wave of the future. then to something fantastic. how superstar will smith decided to ring in his 50th birthday. "early today" starts right now. good wednesday morning. i'm marlie hall. >> and i'm phillip mena. senate republicans have finally revealed who will question supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh and his accuser, dr. christine blasey ford, in tomorrow's hearing. attorney rachel mitchell, a prosecutor from arizona with decades of experience prosecuting sex crimes. >> the judiciary committee also announcing they scheduled a vote on kavanaugh for friday morning, just a day after the testimony. ranking democrat dianne ans don't want a fair ote

process. three yale classmates who initially endorsed kavanaugh are now backtracking, telling the "washington post" they want an investigationbut president trum offensive, fiercely attacking democrats, tweeting last night "the democrats are playing a high-level con game in their vicious effort to destroy a fine person." here's nbc's peter alexander with more. >> reporter: president trump accusing democrats of an orchestrated effort to derail brett kavanaugh's nomination. >> the democrats are playing a con game. c-o-n. a con game. >> is there anything -- >> they know it's a con game. they know he's high quality. and they wink at each other. they'reing direct aim at kavanaugh's latest accuser, deborah ramirez. >> the second accuser has nothing. she admits she was drunk. she admits time lapses, there were time lapses.

>> reporter: ramirez speaking to "the new yorker" saying kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken dorm party at yale in the 1980s but acknowledging she had memory gaps because she'd been drinking. >> it was all messed up and she doesn't know with him but it might have been him. oh, gee, let's not make him a supreme court judge because of that. >> reporter: kavanaugh with his wife ashley on fox news responding to ramirez's charge. >> never did any such thing. the other people alleged to be there don't recall any such thing. if such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of campus. >> it's very difficult. it's very difficult to have these conversations with your children, which we've had to have. some broader terms for our youngest. but they know it's brett and they know the truth. >> reporter: but new scrutiny over this answer. >> was there ever a time you drank so much you that couldn't remember what happened the night before? >> no. that never happened. >> reporter: kavanaugh's college

roommate james roche disputing that writing "i did not observe the specific incident in question but i do remember brett frequently drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk." kavanaugh and accuser christine blasey ford are set to testify in front of congress. the top senate republican predicting kavanaugh will get 50 votes. >> i'm confident he will be confirmed in the very near future. >> reporter: still key republican lisa murkowski urging republicans not to prejudge the allegations. and on the possibility of an fbi investigation -- >> an investigation would certainly clear up some of the questions that are out there. >> reporter: heated moments. republican senator ted cruz and his wife chased out of a restaurant but anti-kavanaugh protesters. >> we believe survivors. >> reporter: democrats denouncing whatnt. >> i think if he gets on the court he will be there under a cloud. in will always be an asterisk next to his name. >> peter alexander reporting. let's bring in tracie potts in

washington. good morning. what more do we know about the gop's outside counsel rachel mitchell? >> reporter: phillip, we know she's got a long history working with sex crimes. she is right now a deputy attorney in the maricopa county, arizona attorney's office. that is in the phoenix area. she has spent 25 years as the division chief for sex crimes. 12 years working in that area before that. she has a lot of experience here. and she's been hired by republicans in part to avoid this all-male panel of republicans questioning dr. ford when she comes before them tomorrow. so here's the format. they will open up with statements from both sides, from the top republican and democrat on that committee. ford will then give an owning statement, the committee chair saying that they are trying to depoliticize this process. there will be a round of questions from senators, then a short break. then we'll hear from judge

kavanaugh with a round of questions. again, with the republican questions coming from rachel mitchell. now, deborah ramirez, the other woman who was has accused kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, is not expected to testify. her attorney says they can't even get the republicans in charge of that committee to schedule a phone call. phillip? >> tracie potts live for us in washington. tracie, thank you. president trump is preparing for his final day at the u.n. general assembly. with plans for a press conference this evening to discuss the trip, along with news of the day according to press secretary sarah sanders. but first he'll wield the gavel as he chairs the u.n. security council meeting today after again touting his "america first" agenda in his speech to the general assembly. here's nbc's chris polone. trade and foreign policy, president trump addressed world leaders gathered in new york. >> we are s up for america the american

people. and we are also standing up for the world.ute speech the presid highlighted his administration's handling of north korea, syria, and iran while also defending his use of tariffs which have angered china as well as allies in europe and canada. >> america will never apologize for protecting its citizens. >> reporter: on north korea president trump once again signaled his openness to meet again with north korea's leader kim jong un. but the president said that sanctions against north korea will remain in place until north korea dismantles its nuclear program. >> i would like to thank chairman kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken. though much work remains to be done. >> reporter: the president still refuses to set up a meeting with the leader of iran and is vowing more sanctions as he stands firm on his controversial decision to pull out of the iran nuclear deal. >> we ask all nations to isolate

iran's regime. as long asts audible laughter a president trump began his speech touting his administration's accomplishments. [ laughter ] >> didn't expect that reaction. but that's okay. >> reporter: president trump outlining his vision for america and the world as he meets with fellow world leaders in new york. chris pollone, nbc news, at the united nations. from america's dad to convicted sex offender, bill cosby is baking up this morning behind bars. sentenced to serve three to ten years in state prison following his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting andrea constand in 2004. judge stephen o'neill, who presided over both cosby trials, not mincing words when ruling that cosby is a "sexually violent predator." nbc's stephanie gosk tells us more. stephanie? >> reporter: phillip, bill cosby is behind bars as we speak. this was a decade-old crime. the first trial ended in a hung

jury. the second one finally a conviction. bill cosby led out of the coinghe courtroom that nobody is above the law. and he turned to cosby and he said your time cosby led away i handcuffs. a searing image of a man once adored and celebrated now on his way to prison. the 81-year-old sentenced o'three to ten years for drugging and sexually assault former temple employee andrea constand in 2004. meaning he cannot seek parole until he's served at least three years. >> finally, bill cosby has been unmasked and we have seen the real man as he is headed off to prison. >> reporter: the defense team fought for home arrest because of the comedian's age and health. but judge stephen o'neill was not convinced. basing his verdict, he said, on the seriousness of the crime and andrea constand's own words. she of her assault in a statement to the

court. "i couldn't move my arms or legs. i couldn't speak or even remain conscious. i was completely vulnerabl powerless to protect myself." constand testified in the trial and the retrial, was in court for both verdicts, and again this week for the sentencing. >> will miss constand be speaking at all today -- >> reporter: when she was asked to react, she just smiled and shook her head. for many of the more than 60 women who have accused cosby of sexual misconduct, ranging from verbal abuse to rape, this sentence is vindication. >> is it relief today? >> yeah, i think it is. i think it's going to take time for us to process right now. we're just caught in the throes of the emotion, you know. tears and laughter and nervousness and confusion. zbl. >> reporter: cosby also now classified as a sexually violent predator. after prison he has to register as a sexer,eet with police four times a year, report any change of address and gets e beginning. this case the only one that led

to criminal charges. after court his spokesman blasted the process. >> this has been the mostac it . but now bill cosby will have to fight back from behind prison walls. >> reporter: there were three counts of aggravated indecent assault but for the sentencing those three counts merged into one. the maximum bill cosby could have received was 10 years. the prosecution asked for five to ten. the judge basically gave that to them. phillip? >> stephanie, thank you for that report. actor will smith marked his 50th birthday by facing one of his biggest fears. >> five, four, three, two, one. >> he was in e bore thatith bun jumping out of a helicopter over a gorge near the grand canyon. the jump was millions of viewer. fresh from his adrenaline rush,

smith offered these words of wisdom willou can't experience that is intended for you in life if you don't go. you've got to go, man. >> yeah, you've got to go. >> he knows what he's talking about. will smith is living one of the great lives on this planet right now. and if you don't believe me go check out his instagram. >> he was pretty serious when he was getting ready to leap too. >> there's only one way to do, it man. all in. >> the guy pushed him a little too. for today 47 million people at risk of severe storms as a cold front will roll through the northeast. you'll feel the difference today after the soaking rain in southern new england. it was kind of cool during that. today's going to be more humid. this will be the typical like afternoon thunderstorm type event. here's the timing of it. ohio valley storms until this morning through this afternoon. then we'll take the storms through sy by 5:00 p.m. they're arriving around scranton. they don't make it to the i-95 corridor until about 1y, 10:00 coming down ning.

from the north or from the northwest. we're also still watching the chance for heavy rain the next couple of days in the southeast. we'll talk more about that southeast rain threat coming up. >> thanks so much, bill. see you in a few. this morning an escapee remains on the loose in southern florida. a kangaroo hopping down the street in jupiter farms to the shock of one witness. turns out he's a 5-year-old named storm who escaped from an animal sanctuary. storm was last spotted jumping into the woods. police and wildlife officials say they plan to resume their search early this morning. i hope they find him. >> it looks cute but don't get it twisted, kangaroos can be dangerous. pro tip, if you're ever squaring up and having to fight a kangaroo go behind them. they can't hop backwards. the more you know. the new tech that could stop a terrorist attack.

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now to danger on the rails. with many of the biggest u.s. train stations lacking security checkpoints. but there is new cutting-edge technology rolling out to them that could catch terrorists before they strike. nbc's jeff rossen has your first look. >> reporter: at airports body scanners check every single passenger. but at train stations they don't. the ultimate soft target. potential bombers allowed to board. and when they strike, it can be deadly. new york city, a terrorist detonating this bomb in the subway. amazingly, that terrorist was the only one seriously injured. but in minsk 11 killed in a train station. brussels, 32 dead and more than 300 injured when terrorists targeted the train station and airport. but now the new technology that can revolutionize security. believe it or not, they have figured out a way to scan thousands of passengers coming in to train stations and subway

stations. in fact, i'm being scanned right now head to toe. and here's the coolest part. it's all hidden. you can't tell. it's called through vision, approved by the tsa. and the los angeles metro is the first agency in the country to use it. this is it. a small box on wheels that can literally go anywhere. >> how does it work? >> what this device does is actually scans individuals who are republican terg oare enteri system for very dangerous items. >> suicide vests? >> absolutely. about 2,000 people per hour. >> to show us they hide a small piece of metal under this guy's clothes. you can't tell. he looks like everyone else. but when he enters the station -- >> so here we have someone entering the frame, and if you look you can actually see -- you can see thi >> that indicates he could potentially be concealinging? we want to take a closer look at. >> look again. here's what evd here's what it

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to kill him. >> in today's news by the numbers, the new trailer for "fantastic beasts: the crimes of grindewold" was released and is now trending on youtube. in just over 24 hours it's been viewed more than 2 million times. >> was that john ji depp? cardi b. is continuing her reign on the charts. her third number one hit on the hot 100 list with maroon 5's "girls like you." >> and timely, you may want to ndwich and wash it down with a nice cold slushy if you're into that because the company behind arby's plans to buy the drive-thru eatery sonic for $2.3 billspire brands has a collecti >> i love arby' dunkin' donuts lovers, a major change coming to a store near you. this is "early today." on a wednesday. managing my type 2 diabetes wasn't my top priority. until i held her. i found my tresiba® reason.

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our top stories at this hour, president trump is planning to hold a news conference later this evening after he wraps up his meetings at the united nations in new york. white house press secretary sarah sanders tweeted, "the president will discuss the u.n. general assembly meeting as well as other news at 5:00 p.m. eastern time." no word if that will include details on his meeting thursday with deputy attorney general rod rosenstein or supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh's hearing on sexual assault allegations. meanwhile, the trump administration is using the u.n. spotlight to take aim at iran. >> if you cross us, our allies or our partners, if you harm our citizens, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay. >> national security adviser john bolton issuing a fiery warning at an anti-iran conference in new york. at the same event secretary of state mike pompeo labeled iran as the number one state sponsor of terrorism. earlier in the day president

trump called for more sanctions against the nation and defended his decision to abandon the nuclear deal. iranian president hassan rouhani later fired back, dubbing the sanctions economic terrorism and accusing the united states of trying to overthrow his government. first mom made history, and now her baby has too. just three months, neve arden is said to be the youngest person ever to attend the u.n. general assembly where her mom, new zealand prime minister jacinda arden, delivered a speech. arden is only the second world leader ever to give birth while in office. >> cute. now to some insane video out of ohio. a car explodes as a woman drives in a parking lot. a security camera captured the blast that destroyed the suv and injured the driver inside. miraculously, an officer near the scene was able to pull her out to safety after this traumatic event. the victim spoke with paramedics before being taken to a hospital. authorities believe a propane tank inside the vehicle might

have caused the explosion. >> oh, my gosh. wow. >> yeah. millennials are changing modern marriage and divorce. new data from nationwide u.s. census bureau survey shows that younger couples trend toward getting married much later than previous generations. as a result the u.s. divorce rate has dropped 18% from 2008 to 2016. analysts conclude marriages today have a greater chance of lasting than they did ten years ago. it's all part of a shifting mindset that is evolving tradition. >> that's encouraging. well, just call it dunkin'. that's the word from dunkin' donuts, which is shortening its name to reflect its increasing focus on coffee and other drinks, which make up over half its sales. the change will happen beginning in january, butn th menu. 'm i can't get hyped up for that. international house of burgers ruined it for me for at least a while. >> thanks for waking up with us. i'm marlie hall. >> and i'm phillip mena.ad lib e

bay bridge shot morning. taking a live look outside this morning. can we make it out? kind of up close and personal. i'm guessing that's san francisco this morning. see the fog? the lights? >> good morning i'm laura garcia. >> i am marcus washington. right now we want to get to check of the weather today. it starts off kool with the fog. >> it starts off cool and it is going to be another hot one, another spare the air day. that means if you have breathing problems, young children, the elderly should limit time outside because of high amounts of ozone in the air for the south bay andt