and lasts for 12 hours. mucinex 12 hour. breaking news overnight. for the eighth day, deadly tornadoes pummeled parts of the south including oklahoma and missouri with major flooding devastating areas and washing entire homes away. we believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the united states, and we believe that e president of the united states is engaged in a cover-up >> i walk in to look at people that just said i was doing a cover-up i don't do cover-ups. >> the battle lines are drawn with the nation's business held hostage in the balance will the president bend, or is the road to impeachment being

paved before our eyes. john walker lindh, the man dubbed the american taliban in 2001 is set to be released from prison today some fear he remains a major security risk. the two grandmothers arrested for carrying cbd oil. what you need to know if you plan to travel with it. and the story of the day involving a friendship that will have you smiling all day "early today" starts right now good thursday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm frances rivera. we begin with breaking news. massive tornadoes have wreaked havoc in missouri, and the damage is being described as devastating. officials have confirmed at least three deaths in the state and we're hearing reports of firefighters stopping to people trapped in collapsed buildings for more let's get to nbc's morgan chesky, who is near jefferson city for us. morgan, what are you seeing? >> reporter: frances, good morning. we are in jefferson city, missouri, right now, drying through one of the strands of that storm that hit just before midnight today we do know the reports are confirmed of a violent tornado

that made its way through the capital city of missouri at around that time we have checked in with the local sheriff's department, and we heard from lieutenant david williams, who said that at this point in time there are rescue efforts under way in multiple buildings in jefferson city. they're working hard to i.d. the gy injured people and they're calling all hands on deck. we know firefighters have called all crews in hospitals have also called in all crews to address the injured as they come in. right now we're still waiting to see more damage from the city, but at this point in time, from the early pictures that we've received, it does look to be rather extensive we do know that they are again describing this as a violent tornado with serious damage throughout the city. at this point in time there has not been any confirmed deaths in jefferson city however, there are multiple people injured we've seen multiple reports of a hotel that was hit with

witnesses describing shards of glass flying inside the hotel after it was struck. we do know there are numerous vehicles that are flipped over throughout the city and that emergencypersonnel are having difficult time getting around town due to the damage there in jefferson city we've asked authorities to say do you know how many people are injured, and they say at this point it is still too early to tell as they're making rounds through damaged neighborhoods. frances? >> all right thank you. morgan chesky for us near jefferson city we appreciate the update. nbc meteorologist janessa webb is here tracking that severe weather morgan was just talking about. >> good morning. we have this squall line it's moving fairly quickly here. the problem is that you can see behind this, across jefferson city into joplin right now, we have another band that's going to lift to the north here and cause torrential rain. so 27 reports of tornadoes here in the last 24 hours, and i do expect that to increase throughout the overnight here. the problem is that we're seeing these nocturnal tornadoes.

you're not able to get prepared. it's dark out, and we still have that severe risk throughout the midwest into the northeast this afternoon with 42 million under that severe weather risk. >> janessa, thanks for tracking that for us. the standoff between iran and the u.s. is showing no signs of letting up this morning later today the pentagon will reportedly present a plan to the white house that could send up to 10,000 troops to the middle east nbc's craig boswell has more from d.c it's important to note the timing of all this, the meeting coming just before memorial day. >> reporter: yeah, phillip good morning good morning, everyone yeah, that timing duly noted it also comes during a spike in tensions between the u.s. and iran u.s. officials say the pentagon drawing up plans to deploy up to 10,000 troops to the middle east this plan could be presented to the white house as early as tomorrow the plan is intended to counter threats posed by iran. the administration has been citing unspecified intelligence

reports of threats by iran to u.s. forces in the region. now, lawmakers were briefed on these unspecified reports on tuesday by acting secretary and the secretary of state mike pompeo there are lawmakers, phillip, that want to take some measures to make sure the president has to consult congress before taking any military action so there is a lot more information still -- they still want more information about this, and we'll find out today whether that plan will be presented today. phillip? >> we will be following that craig boswell joining us from d.c. this morning. thank you. now to the man dubbed the american taliban, who will walk out of jail a free man today john walker lindh served 17 years of his 20-year prison sentence he was arrested in afghanistan for providing support to the taliban. officials say he will live in northern virginia. nbc's pete williams has the latest >> reporter: john walker lindh's imminent release has law enforcement officials concerned. nbc news has learned that an

internal memo circulated this week warns that he remains a committed jihadist after serving 17 years of a 20-year prison sentence he was called the american taliban, a shocking arrest in afghanistan just two months after the 9/11 attacks >> what is your name >> reporter: he fought with the taliban and met al qaeda leader bin laden. lindh was questioned in an afghan prison by cia officer johnny michael span, who was killed in an uprising there several hours later. lirnd pleaded guilty in 2002 but these u.s. intelligence assessments say he continued to advocate global jihad while in prison in this letter to nbc4 los angeles in 2015, seen for the first time, lindh expressed support for isis and said, quote, they are doing a spectacular job. span's parents say lindh should never be let out of prison. >> he's not been rehabilitated, and he's probably going to go back into the same islamic

terrorist activities that he's been doing because evidently he hasn't stopped. >> reporter: under the terms of his release, lindh's use of the internet must be monitored and he won't be allowed to travel even though he wanted to move to ireland. democrats are a few steps closer to seeing president trump's tax returns this morning. a federal judge ruled that the white house cannot block subpoenas for his financial records. and in new york, lawmakers approved a bill that will allow congress to obtain his state records. it comes after an explosive showdown between president trump and top democrats. our kristen welker has the details. >> reporter: just moments after blowing up a meeting with democratic leaders on infrastructure, president trump marching into the rose garden, dramatically declaring he can no longer work with them. >> i told senator schumer, speaker pelosi i want to do frur infrastructure but you know what? you can't do it under these circumstances. so get these phony investigations over with.

>> reporter: that surprise move sparked the president says by an earlier meeting of democrats to discuss impeaching him, and this shot from house speaker nancy pelosi. >> we believe that the president of the united states is engaged in a cover-up. >> i walk in to look at people that have just said that i was doing a cover-up i don't do cover-ups there was no collusion between russia and the trump campaign. that's it. but they want to make this a big deal whether or not they carry the big "i" word out, i can't imagine that, but they probably would. >> reporter: two democratic sources with knowledge of the white house meeting tell nbc news the president accused pelosi of saying horrible things before mr. trump walked out after just three minutes >> he just took a pass, and it just makes me wonder why -- why he did that. in any event, i pray for the president of the united states, and i pray for the united states of america >> reporter: but pelosi is also

under growing pressure from her own party to green light impeachment, which she has resisted nbc's kasie hunt with one of the democrats calling for it, alexandria ocasio-cortez. >> will you satisfied with what leadership had to say? >> ni think i was satisfied with the openness of the conversation and the discourse we're having as a caucus. >> reporter: the bitter back and forth between the president and pelosi escalating throughout the day. >> this president is obstructing justice, and he's engaged in a cover-up and that could be an impeachable offense. >> i respect the courts. i respect congress i respect right here where we're standing but what they've done is abuse >> reporter: it's not just infrastructure there are a lot of critical agenda items like the budget that require bipartisanship. a senior administration official signaling there may be some room for must-do deals. phillip? >> kristen, thank you. now we turn to a wild police chase caught on camera

a new jersey police officer is now facing charges after opening fire repeatedly on the driver. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the story, and a warning some may find the video disturbing [ siren [ gunfire >> shots fired >> reporter: the dramatic video that captures how a police chase in newark, new jersey, turned deadly and led to a rare indictment of a police officer 26-year-old giovanni crespo now facing charges including aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, and official misconduct. >> the officer's conduct was not consistent with the training that he received >> reporter: the shooting happened back in january when prosecutors say the driver, 46-year-old gregory griffin, fled after a traffic stop. crespo then repeatedly fired at griffin's car at three locations, even as it pulled away at one point crespo telling his fellow officer -- >> he pointed the gun at me. >> reporter: the gunfire killed griffin and injured his passenger, andrew dixon.

inside the vehicle police say they recovered a handgun with hollow point bullets dixon is charged with possession of an illegal handgun. prosecutors say no other officers opened fire crespo, whose attorney declined to comment to nbc news, joined the newark police force less than two years ago >> he showed a reckless disregard for human life by shooting into a moving vehicle >> reporter: the police union says it fully supports him and looks forward to his day in court. if convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison. gabe gutierrez, nbc news let's check back in with nbc meteorologist janessa webb tracking that storm affecting millions today. >> these embedded storms are moving fairly quickly, already making their way into the midwest here so it's going to be a long overnight. we are far from done from these storms as this squall line continues to make its way into illinois now, flash flooding going to be a concern with flash flood watches and warnings in place throughout your overnight into your evening we could see one to two inches per hour of torrential rain. that's look at the a making itse

northeast for your evening commute. so this storm is making its way east very quickly here, makes its way into new york by your evening commute unfortunately. >> wow going to be a long day and long night for a lot of people. janessa, thank you. a new jersey truck driver is lucky to be alive after crashing through two levels of a parking garage it happened just 20 feet from a chuck e. cheese restaurant filled with kids the truck weighed 80,000 pounds, which was 13 times over the garage's weight limit. police say the truck driver got into a fender bender just prior to the incident and entered the garage to turn around to meet the other driver involved. >> incredible images there just ahead here on "early today," port potty fleet week hits harbors across

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this memorial day weekend... at kohl's. ♪ so the u.s. navy band has kicked off fleet week celebrations in new york city. crowds gathered as a parade of ships sailed through the hudson river. today there is a navy band concert in union scare park and also free ship tours will be offered to the public. >> a lot of those uniforms walking around new york yesterday. wildfi a head-turning image video of a great grandmother being arrested after officials found her with cbd oil nbc's miguel almaguer explains >> reporter: hester burkehalter was arrested at disney world on a family vacation. >> i'm going to have to put cuffs on you. >> reporter: officers stopped the 69-year-old great-grandmother at a security checkpoint after discovering a small bottle of cbd oil in her purse. >> i tell you, i don't know if i

can get in my -- >> reporter: this after lena, a 71-year-old grandmother, was arrested at dallas fort worth airport. security officers also discovering cbd oil in her bag u.s. customs and border protection officers have seen a dramatic uptick in cbd oil >> within the last six months, the increase in our interception rate for that has skyrocketed. >> reporter: both women were taken to jail and faced felony drug charges >> they made me take pictures, put on a jumpsuit, take clothes off. >> reporter: charges were dropped in both cases, but the lawful arrests highlight confusion over the popular product. while many states have legislation regarding recreational or medical marijuana, cbd is complicated. it's considered a controlled substance, so if it's discovered in your bag at an airport or border crossing, you could be arrested the women say cbd was recommended by doctors to ease ailments like arthritis, though

the only fda-approved use of cbd is for epilepsy. the drug used for treating ailments causing headaches of its own. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> wow, it's good to know, especially when you travel it's so popular now in everything, food and products. >> like he said, though, it's very complicated you have to check the rules everywhere you go. still ahead, iced out of the office a new study reveals a cold truth for women. and why bring a towel to the beach when you can actually wear one. the bizarre new bikini taking the internet by storm. we'll show it to you next. ♪ ♪ right now, when you buy a red nose at walgreens, you can help a child live a healthier life. walgreens. trusted since 1901.

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♪ ♪ moving on up ♪ we finally got a piece of the pie ♪ >> that song, everybody knows that song. it's throwback thursday came a little early this week on wednesday abc revived the 70s sit com the jeffersons in front of a live audience the cast included jamie foxx, wanda sykes, carrie washington, and will ferrell, many more. but the biggest star of the night was the original cast member, marla gibbs making an appearance at the very end of the show she starred at florence on the show >> the reboots are so popular. you can bring back the theme songs too. >> yeah. that's truly the throwback. ladies, this is something we have to deal with, especially in summer this is why i have my sweater,

blankets, my coat over here, because i'm always freezing in the office now it's our turn to feel like, hey, it's not just us. there's a new study that says women are more productive when they're warm researchers at the university of southern california and the berlin social science center observed 543 students. they performed tests at varying temperatures and found that as temperatures increased, so did women's performance. meanwhile, men performed better at lower temperatures, and it seems like at least in the studio, men always win, although you're fanning yourself. >> i'm always hot too. summer is right around the corner which means it's almost time to hit the beach. now instead of having to pack a bathing suit and a towel, you can have the best of both worlds it's a towelkini this fun alternative isn't exactly a cheap one. it costs about $200. you can find it online at specialspecial.com we'll be right back.

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we're back with an unlikely bond between a boy facing some tough challenges and the man who became his friend at school. nbc's kristen dahlgren has their story. >> reporter: in baltimore, he's become a bit of a celebrity. >> the baltimore ravens select ben powers. >> reporter: the first person to ever read a draft choice in braille. he's a sports fanatic with an unwavering spirit even though he can't see. cancer took his eyesight as a baby now 13, he's battling cancer for the fourth time. his immune system is so weak, he often goes to class via robot. >> hey there's my main man, mo.

>> reporter: but he looks forward to every day at school >> he's awesome. >> reporter: thanks to school resource officer corporal chris lynnsome bigler. >> he's always a joy to be around. >> reporter: the unlikely duo are inseparable. >> he's really fun and he makes me people safe. >> thanks, buddy. >> i don't know about that was a tear you were just wiping. >> it was. >> oh, boy. >> reporter: like any great relationship, there are tears mixed in with the laughter they're together for good and bad. >> you're not alone, buddy. >> yeah. just to know that i have people supporting me makes me feel stronger. >> reporter: and so mo wrote a special note of thanks. >> it says thank you for all you do to protect us every day you are appreciated. >> reporter: a little survivor with the strength of a superhonor and now a sidekick with him every step of the way kristen dahlgren, nbc news, baltimore. >> wow, a very special kid. >> he's an inspiration. >> he is. all right. this guy too

a tennessee teen has graduated valedictorian from his high school and received more than $3 million worth of college scholarships and he did it all while being homeless 17-year-old tupac mosley said his family became homeless following his father's death in april of 2017. during his address, he thanked his principal and teachers for believing in him and at a press conference he announced he plans to attend tennessee state university and major in electrical engineering. both these stories of these kids just overcoming anything that life gave them with the challenges and going beyond. >> it's like a rose growing from concrete. a warning the next video may cause cuteness overload. three white bengal tiger cubs got their first medical checkup at a zoo in central chile this week the month old triplets were examined and weighed about i a veterinary staff and given a clean bill of health 'of them weighing over six pounds they don't have names yet, so

the view has invited children to come up with some names for them. >> that's the cutest little tiger roar. >> it sounds like a goat thanks for watching "early thanks for watching "early to dawe were scrapers. yeah... our dishes never got clean the first time, so we did what we had to do. until we tried finish quantum. finish quantum's three chambers scrub, degrease and shine to get our dishes truly finished. it's not clean until it's finished!

ad lib live picture- sf skyline we )ll see sunny skies across te bay today... a very good thursday morning to you. let's take a peek outside before the sun's arrival. looking at the san francisco skyline. you know what, though, the sun will arrive. we should see sunny skies across the area. >> hey. >> good morning to you, thanks, so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> it's for marcus. he is on location. we will check in with him later in the newscast. >> first we begin two an outbreak of twisters. some of the most expensive damages in jrs