breaking overnight, do we have a winner in the nation's largest lotto jackpot of all time? $1.6 billion on the line. a deadly outbreak spreads through a pediatric nursing center. at least six young children are dead. a dozen more are infected. this morning health officials are scrambling to stop the spread. don't look now but there are now two migrant caravans headed to the united states as president trump admits he has no proof of ms-13 gang members or any other dangerous types among them. >> they could very well be. >> but there's no proof. >> there's no proof of anything. there's no proof of anything. but they could very well be.

the world series is off to a rousing start as two of the best pitchers in baseball square off. and a holiday favorite, fao schwarz is making a comeback in a big way. "early today" starts right now. good wednesday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm marlie hall. the numbers have been drawn, but no official word yet on whether anyone has won that record-setting $1.6 billion mega millions jackpot. the winning numbers are 28, 70, 5, 62, 65, and mega ball 5. the odds of hitting the jackpot, 1 in more than 302 million. but if a lucky winner does emerge, they'll have the option of taking a cash sum of $904 million or breaking that down into 30 yearly payments. >> the record-setting jackpot sent the nation into a lottery frenzy with about 280 million tickets sold since last friday's drawing. in california alone, tickets were selling at a rate of 200

per second. according to the a. mmpth. now, if no one wins this jackpot, it could grow to a mind-boggling $2 billion, and that drawing would happen on friday. but there's still a chance for powerball. tonight's drawing is worth $620 million. long lines everywhere i went. >> mm-hmm. well, at least six children are dead in new jersey from an outbreak of adenovirus that health officials say struck a long-term care facility. more than a dozen others in the facility have been sickened by the flu-like illness. the outbreak is happening at wanaque center for nursing and rehabilitation in northern new jersey, and children are especially at risk. nbc's kristen dahlgren has the latest. >> reporter: a deadly outbreak in a pediatric ward. six children dead and 12 more severely ill at a children's rehabilitation center that treats young people with compromised immune systems. this according to the new jersey health department. the cause, adenovirus, a normally mild virus associated with colds and minor childhood

illnesses. but serious for children like paula kosty began's son william, who is on a ventilator. >> they shouldn't have let him get so bad that his one lung was completely shut down. >> reporter: this strain of adenovirus, number 7, associated with respiratory viruses like pneumonia, croup, and bronchitis. 60 of the pediatric patients are on ventilators. the wanaque center says it promptly notified all appropriate government agencies when the virus was initially identified and continues to fully cooperate with these agencies and has sought out their medical guidance. according to reports, the department of health said it was notified by the facility of some respiratory illnesses on october 9th. when the center was inspected on thursday, minor hand washing deficientsies were discovered. >> it's hard to get rid of when it gets into a closed environment. once it's in there, it can stick

on surfaces. it's hard to clean off, and it's very easy to spread from person to person. >> reporter: and the facility has a history. cited in 2016 and 2017 for violations involving the spread of infection. it is not allowed to accept any new patients until the outbreak is under control. this morning the investigation into what caused the outbreak continues while that mother we spoke to says the families weren't notified until they got a letter two days ago. that's after her son was already in intensive care. phillip and marlie, back to you. >> thank you. less than two weeks until election day, president trump is hitting the campaign trail hard as he tries to shore up republican support in key swing states. tonight he is going to stop in wisconsin to stump for governor scott walker and senate candidate leah vukmir. and it's all but certain he's going to double down on his attacks against the migrant caravan marching toward the u.s. border. but some of his more incendiary claims are facing serious scrutiny this morning.

for more, let's go to tracie potts joining us from washington, d.c. tracie, good morning. the president is pushing to make this caravan a major, major issue in the midterms. >> reporter: well, phillip, he knows and republicans know that nothing gets the republican base fired up like the issue of immigration. they have had success there, success meaning driving people out to the polls, and that is the end game at this point. so, yes, the president is talking about this caravan of migrants who appear to be headed from central america, through mexico, to the u.s. border. but the question is, is this a caravan of poor migrants hoping to get to the u.s. to build a better life, or as the president suggested, could there be other people mixed in? listen. >> over the course of the year, over the course of a number of years, they've intercepted many people from the middle east. they've intercepted isis. they've intercepted all sorts of

people. >> reporter: but when pressed on the issue, the president admitted there just wasn't a lot of evidence of some of those claims. >> no proof that they're in the caravan now. >> they could very well be. >> but there's no proof. >> there's no proof of anything. there's no proof of anything. but they could very well be. >> reporter: in fact, a former senior intelligence official tells nbc that middle easterners and african immigrants make up less than 1% of people apprehended at the border last year. phillip. >> doesn't need much proof to drum up a lot of fear and loathing. thank you. thousands of people in that caravan are now resting in mexico. the organization for migration says about a thousand have decided to seek asylum there with the mexican government saying about 110 of them have instead decided to turn back. but the rest intend to continue the dangerous trip to the u.s. border. nbc's mariana atencio is with

them. >> reporter: a group of thousands is in mexico. it is a day of rest. you can see a line of migrants in this caravan trying to get food, water. the local government has been supporting them and is cheering them on their move north. there's been a lot of questions as to who the caravan organizers are. here on the ground, it is a group escorting them through mexico where they have been doing this long before donald trump was president. also there's been back and forth as to the numbers in this caravan. the u.s. saying it is 6,500 people, not 7,000 as the mexican government is saying. keep in mind it is such a p perilous journey. fire crews in massachusetts battled a massive five-alarm fire that broke out at a church tuesday night. the huge flames were pouring out of the now decimated building.

the historic first baptist church was a local landmark. it's been there for nearly 150 years. no word yet on what caused the inferno. some reports are saying that lightning sparked the flames after a wild thunderstorm rolled through that area. no injuries known at this time. nbc's megyn kelly issuing an apology to her staff after she defended wearing blackface as a halloween costume. her comments came during a panel discussion on "megyn kelly today" and quickly sparked backlash over remarks many viewed as racially tone deaf. nbc's morgan radford has more. >> reporter: during a segment about halloween costumes, "today" show anchor megyn kelly stirred controversy with her remarks about blackface. >> you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface at halloween or a black person who puts on whiteface for halloween. when i was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up as a character.

>> reporter: the conversation continued. >> there was a controversy on the real housewives of new york with lou ann. she dressed as diana ross and she made her skin look darker than it was and people said that was racist. who doesn't love diana ross? if she wants to look like diana ross for one day. >> reporter: a tv host tweeting because caricaturing another race perpetuates the dehumanization. >> santa claus should not be a white man anymore. yet another person claiming it's racist to have a white santa, you know. by the way for all you kids watching at home, santa just is white. jesus was a white man too. >> reporter: later kelly apologized to her staff in this e-mail for using the term blackface, a practice long associated with minstrel shows mocking african-americans. i realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong, and i am sorry. the history of blackface in our

culture is abhorrent. the wounds too deep. i've never been a pc kind of person, but i understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. morgan radford, nbc news, new york. hurricane willa slammed mexico's coast tuesday with powerful winds blowing up to 120 miles an hour. the monstrous category 3 storm forced thousands to evacuate before making landfall. as the fierce weather threatened a major resort there. the life-threatening storm surge touched down near the state of sinaloa, sweeping through beach towns, fishing villages and farms ands you caed power blackouts in some places and damage to homes. forecasters say willa has been downgraded to a tropical storm. it could still bring six to 12 inches of rain with flooding and landslides possible. >> meteorologist bill karins is here. >> willa is going to send moisture and add to a storm that's going to be forming over the south. we're already seeing that storm spinning plenty of rain through

new mexico, near el paso. that's going to combine with the moisture from willa and eventually all this will roll through the southeast. so we're watching the rainfall this morning in west texas. by this afternoon it's a soaking rain from san antonio to dallas to waco at 5:00 p.m. as we wake up form morning, rainy morning from southern arkansas to mississippi. then tomorrow afternoon we watch that heavy rain threat along the gulf coast. eventually this whole storm strengthens and comes up the east coast for an a and turn into a nor'easter. just moisture from the hurricane will be added to this storm. and it does look like a very ugly saturday in areas of the northeast. we'll have details coming up. >> ruining weekends already. let's talk a little world series now.

dodgers and red sox. game one of the world series at fenway park in boston. the sox would get on the board first scoring two in the first and another in the third. but the dodgers also scored pretty early too. they got runs in the second, third, and fifth. they tied the game at three. now in the seventh inning, the sox up 5-4. pinch hitter eduardo nunez takes a big swing and that's a three run blast. boston wins 8-4. he is the first pinch hitter ever to homer in the world series since 2009. no cover up spray here... it's the irresistibly fresh scent of febreze air effects. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors, burying the smell in a flowery fog. switch to febreze air effects! febreze eliminates even the toughest odors from the air. and it uses an all-natural propellant to leave behind a pleasant scent you'll love. use anywhere odors can spread. freshen up, don't cover up. febreze air effects. thdelicious.i-wheat. but it's more than that.

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♪ introducing the all-new corolla hatchback. toyota. let's go places. leading the news, the connecticut supreme court is ordering state police to release the belongings of newtown shooter adam lanza, including his disturbing writings. the court unanimously ruled in favor of the hartford courant, who filed a freedom of information request five years ago for documents seized from lanza's home by police. the justices agreeing that the items belonging in the public record. in 2012, lanza shot and killed

20 young children and six educators at sandy hook elementary school before killing himself. it's not yet clear when the information will be released. now to a murder mystery in the caribbean. a 61-year-old american tourist from long island was on vacation and found murdered near a popular resort. now authorities there combing through the clues. here's nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: with turquoise waters and pristine beaches, club med turks and caicos bills itself as the ultimate grown-up playground. now it is the focus of a murder mystery. one of its guests, 61-year-old marie kunla went missing last monday. the next morning in these bushes near the resort, her body was discovered by one of her traveling companions. she was on the trip with the victim. >> whoever did this, i want to make sure they pay for this. >> reporter: now a week later police have yet to say how or why she died. >> authorities have told us basically nothing, which is very, very frustrating for the family, very frustrating.

>> reporter: this january, the state department issued a traveler's advisory for turks and caicos because of crime, urging americans to avoid walking alone at night and to not physically resist a robbery. the turks and caicos police are conducting a murder investigation. club med promises to cooperate with authorities, adding, the safety, security, and well being of all of our guests remains our highest priority. as police hunt for a killer marring paradise. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. just ahead, the beer thief that resembles a friends star. plus drake just did something to the beatles that no one else in history has achieved. you're watching "early today." try olay daily facials. simply add water to activate the dry cloth and release a unique 5-in-1 cleansing formula, which works deeply to exfoliate, tone, and soften the skin's surface, while restoring hydration. plus, each wipe provides a more complete clean,

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♪ >> i like that song. it was all part of god's plan for his 32nd birthday. today rapper drake has just broken a billboard hot 100 record previously held by the beatles. the superstar scored his 12th top ten spot after his feature on bad bunny's track mia launched at number five on the charts. he now has more top ten singles in one year than any other artist. >> you know drake can speak

spanish? >> i don't know. >> he was singing. >> he pulled it off, though. good for him. >> he is quickly becoming one of the most successful artists of all time. if you had to do a double take, you're not alone. come on, could he be any more like ross? the suspected beer thief was first thought to be actor david schwimmer from friends. look how much the resemblance there. after police asked for help identifying this alleged beer stealer, people were blaming ross so much that officers had to issue a statement confirming that schwimmer was actually in america during the crime. i mean they had to really go out of their way to say it was not ross. he had not fallen on hard times. he wasn't jacking booze. >> i wonder if they called him for an alibi. for all the bookworms out there, america has spoken. the country's favorite book is "to kill a mockingbird" by

harper lee. pbs declared the 1960s classic america's favorite work of fiction during the final episode of "the great american read." nearly 4.3 million people voted on 100 diverse finalists. outlander stole runner-up while harry potter came in third, followed by pride and prejudice and the lord of the rings to round out the top five. >> would have been your number one. >> i like "to kill a mockingbird." >> yeah? fear and loathing all day long. coming up, first gigi hadid's big day. the supermodel teams up with an iconic new york store ahead of the holidays. ave started with the flavor of mccormick. making memories around the table and bringing families together with aromas that awaken our emotions and tastes like cinnamon dancing on our tongue. because it's the recipes we pass on to the next generation that are the reason there's really no flavor like home. and that's where you'll find the flavor

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hi, guys. >> the iconic fao schwarz toy soldiers are getting makeovers courtesy of supermodel gigi hadid, drawing inspiration from her own childhood visits to the toy store and the whimsical elements at the new flagship location. gigi designs updated versions of the classic uniforms and revealed for the first time female soldiers will join the ranks. you can see the designs up close at the store opening november 16th. >> the holidays didn't feel the same without fao schwarz. here's our saturday evening in the northeast. the storm system right over areas of new england. it doesn't look like too much snow in the high elevations but a soaking rain on your saturday. stay tuned for more here on "early today."

introducing the all-new corolla hatchback. toyota. let's go places. when you're not strong ♪ ♪ and i'll be your friend. ♪ i'll help you carry on. ♪ lean on me. thdelicious.i-wheat. but it's more than that. 10 layers of crunchy wheat to fill you up on big days. whether your day involves steam, mountains, or woah- fire... ...we've got your breakfast right here. is your breakfast built for big days?

this morning we're still waiting to hear if there has been a lucky ticket sold in that record-setting $1.6 billion mega millions drawing. grab your tickets and check the winning numbers. they are 28, 70, 5, 62, 65, and the mega ball is 5. the odds of winning are just 1 in over 302 million, and with about 280 million tickets sold, there's bound to be plenty of disappointed players, myself included. but if you live in the new orleans area, the port orleans brewing company can bring you some solace. if you bring in your losing ticket today or tomorrow, they'll give you a free consolation beer. i know i need some consoling. >> yeah. it's a great idea there. you probably heard plenty of

those lottery horror stories making it seem like at times hitting the jackpot comes with some sort of curse. but that's not always the case. nbc's joe fryer introduces us to a few winners who have found happiness after striking gold. >> reporter: you could say the entire town of bondurant, iowa, hit the jackpot when mary and brian loyec won powerball. they paid off the mortgage at their church and funneled money toward a new high school football stadium. >> it was in the plans anyway. we just decided to hasten the process. >> reporter: and that's not all. their community did not have a grocery store, so the couple built one for $4.5 million. >> it is one of the funnest things that we've been able to do is watch as we give to other people. >> reporter: it was 2012 when they defied the odds and won the $202 million prize, taking home $90 million after taxes and refusing to fall victim to the lottery curse. >> how can something that can

make your life and other people's lives so amazing be a curse? it can be if you let it be, but i don't want to think about it that way. >> reporter: that philosophy has guided a number of winners like the smith family. >> i guess all of you are thinking you wish you was me right now, right? >> reporter: two years ago they won a $429 million jackpot and quickly created a foundation pumping millions into their town, trenton, new jersey. >> we've all been involved in work to help the community, and all we say is god just now financed us. >> reporter: in california, the cisneros family won a $266 million jackpot back in 2010, steering some of their winnings towards scholarships and other educational programs. >> we didn't buy a new car. we didn't go travel anywhere. we didn't do a lot of that stuff. i mean we actually that was one of the first things we did was to set up our family foundation. >> reporter: for many winners, giving is the ultimate victory. >> we don't find our happiness

in the money. we find our happiness in our family and friends and having our kids around. >> that karma forward. that was joe fryer reporting. >> that could be puus, phil we )re halfway through the work

week. ad lib live picture of san francisco. welcome to wednesday morning. nobody here won the lotto, let's take a live look where someone won five of the numbers in san francisco. lucky city lately. good morning to you. we are happy to be here though with you. good morning, i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. let's look at the weather today. >> a little breezy over there. >> kari has the wind gusts for today. >> all these things are good for nowadays, a fab to keep you cool. we're going to be heating up over the next couple of days and that's the main story. we start out with a cool start,