we can never repay all that the 9/11 community has done for our country. >> finally realized. the 9/11 fund will now have the finances needed to care for victims and survivors with virtually unlimited resource ter an emotional and high-profile plea. any testimony from this office won go beyond our report. and the report is my testimony i would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before congress bracing for impact

with just hours to go before the special counsel testifies, what do members of congress hope to get out of robert mueller? developing overnight, rurmds that puerto rico's governor could be resigning under pressure as early as noon today. >> we'll take you inside jeffrey epstein's private island where at least one accuser says e witnessed sexual abuse i say to all the doubters, dude, we are going to energize the country. we're going to get brexit done >> get ready for boris johnson as the flamboyant and controversial new prime minister takes office in just a few hours. a very busy "early today" ahead. let's get started. good to be with you this tuesday morning. i'm frances rivera wednesday morning i should say >> i'm phillip mena. we're just hours away from the highly anticipated public testimony from robert mueller. the former special counsel will face questions about the russia investigation for the first time during today's congressional hearings nbc's tracie potts joining us now from d.c tracie, good morning we're now learning mueller's team has made a last-minute

request. >> right, phillip and frances. in fact, they said it wasn't last minute, they talked about it with the committee over a week ago but it was certainly granted at the last minute aaron zebley, a long-time aide, another lawyer, deputy in the russia investigation, is going to accompany robert mueller today for his testimony. he is not expected to be sworn in or speak but he will be sitting there to advise robert mueller when lawmakers on both sides start firing questions president trump tweeting about this, saying it was very unfair. trump supporters saying that this was a last-minute attempt to try to change things because democrats simply do not have a case here. robert mueller is expected to testify for at least five hours today. three with the judiciary committee, two with the intelligence committee, about his report on russian election interference and specifically about evidence of obstruction of justice by the

president of the united states, president trump. now, that evidence did not turn into an indictment, could not have been an indictment according to mueller because the justice department had ruled that you cannot indict a sitting president. and the justice department has told him to only stick with what's in this report. that testimony getting under way in a matter of hours, phillip. >> the fireworks -- democrats hoping for some fireworks today. tracie potts in d.c. this morning. tracie, thank you. a remind dwrer for everyone. our special coverage of mueller's testimony will begin this morning at 8:15 a.m. eastern right here on nbc. a victory for 9/11 victims over a decade in the making. cheers erupting on the senate floor after the compensation fund passed. [ applause ] the 18-year-long battle a bittersweet win. as we remember the hundreds of heroes who died fighting nbc's dan scheneman has the latest >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: by a vote of 97-2

the senate approving a bill to provide lifelong medical support for those who helped after the 9/11 terror attacks. >> there's no joy. there's no comfort yes, i cried with jon. but that was to exhale that was to get 18 years of pain and suffering out. >> reporter: jon stewart the comedian, also a passionate advocate for the first responders >> we can never repay all that the 9/11 community has done for our country. but we can stop penalizing them. and today is that day. >> reporter: the battle to fund the bill was difficult and emotional. >> any new program that's going to have the longevity of 70, 8 0 years should be offset by cutting spending >> reporter: senator rand paul one of two no votes, temporarily blocked the extension of the fund last week >> pardon me if i'm not impressed in any way by rand paul's fiscal responsibility virtue signaling >> reporter: retired new york police detective luis alvarez

appealed to congress while he battled cancer an illness he believes could be traced back to ground zero >> you made me come down here the day before my 69th round of chemo. >> reporter: alvarez died just weeks after his testimony. >> i want to thank you for not forgetting him, not forgetting all the other first responders who tirelessly worked to see this pass. >> reporter: some much-needed help for 9/11's heroes dan scheneman, nbc news. a major leadership shake-up is under way in the uk today boris johnson will soon take over as britain's prime minister as theresa may offers her formal resignation to the queen nbc's chapman bell joining us from downing street. mr. johnson is entering office today with some major obstacles in front of him to put it lightly. >> reporter: charthat's right, phillip. that which brought him in as the incoming prime minister, that's

brexit, will also prove to be one of his biggest hurdles he has said repeatedly that the uk will leave the eu on october 31st with or without a deal. but even nigel farage the leader of the pro-brexit movement has admitted this is going to be very difficult for boris johnson. why? well, he is leading a conservative party in parliament that outright does not have its ownmajority. it's even a bitterly divided party in brexit, whether they leave with or without a deal the opposition of course is adamant that they will not leave without a deal more or less. so that's going to prove to be a very difficult stance for the new prime minister in his first 100 days or so the eu has said repeatedly that they will not negotiate a new deal, that the deal negotiated by theresa may is the deal they're going to get, so then it's going to be hard for boris johnsoto try to go to the eu to try to renegotiate. he has found an ally in donald trump, though, who was very critical of theresa may and her

handling of brexit but it's going to be an interesting incoming job for the new prime minister phillip? >> to say the least. chapman bell joining us from london this morning. chapman, thank you breaking news. after nearly two weeks of violent protests reports are the governor of puerto rico has a possible career changing announcement coming today. ricardo rossello is set to make a formal announcement at noon. if he were to leave office, it is likely that wanda vazquez would be his successor as rumors of a possible resignation spread, cheers erupted in san juan among protesters ♪ the governor's text message scandal sparked some of the biggest protests the island's ever seen. lawyers for jeffrey epstein say they will appeal a judge's decision to deny him bail while 'waits trial on sex trafficking charges. and we're learning more about epstein's lavish and odd lifestyle at his sxluded compound in the u.s. virgin islands. nbc's stephanie goss sak there

with a firsthand look. >> reporter: phillip, we're down in st. thomas, which is the closest big island to jeffrey epstein's private island we're about a half an hour boat ride from that island. it's about as private as it gets at jeffrey epstein's private caribbean getaway in the u.s. virgin islands grounds workers still go about their job, reluctant to talk. >> excuse me can i just talk to you for a second >> reporter: epstein pleaded not guilty to federal judges he's accused of recruiting a network of young girls he sexually abused at his mansions in florida and new york. no mention of this island. but authorities say he declared it his primary residence, with a massive main house, eccentric statues, and manicured liengz df palm trees epstein bought little st. james in 1998 and he built a sprawling compound here. for years he looked across the water at this other island, great st. james. he bought that one in 2016 now his attorneys say the two

together are worth just over $86 million. epstein engineered near total privacy. 24-hour securitynd guard dogs. >> i was absolutely told that things that occurred on the island were matters of privacy and were not to be discussed and that at no time i was ever to interact with any of the guests. >> reporter: steve skully worked on epstein's phone lines for six years. >> there were girls that looked young to be there. >> were they under 18 do you think? >> i have no way of knowing that, truly. but they appeared to be young to me >> reporter: he says he saw pictures of topless girls all over the compound. did that strike you as odd >> really odd. >> reporter: but it was a conversation with another one of epstein's employees from palm beach that made scully quit his job. >> he said what's with the young girls? and i said oh, yeah. i'm not real comfortable with the young girl thing too is that in west palm beach as well he said, worse >> reporter: he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution in florida in 2008 as part of a controversial plea deal.

in a civil case against the government about that deal one cueser sa e accuser says she took part in an orgy on epstein's private island in 2002 with eight other young girls who appeared to be under the age of 18. epstein registered as a sex offender in the virgin islands but unlike in the u.s. where he had level 3 sex offender status, considered the most dangerous, here he was classified as tier 1. it meant he had to check in with local authorities once a year. looking back, scully, a father of three daughters, tells us he regrets not speaking out sooner. when you think about the accusations against him, what does that make you think of in terms of your kids >> i'm awful glad that they weren't visitors on the island >> reporter: if someone calls for help on that island, it takes police a half an hour to get there. we're also told by residents that jeffrey epstein was down here quite a bit, that he came sometimes as often as twice a month. he flies in on his private jet,

jumps on his private helicopter, and pops on over to the island >> nbc's stephanie gosk in st. thomas stephanie, thank you climate change activists are hoping to make their message stick at the u.s. capitol. extinction rebellion says this group superglued themselves to this entrance hoping to intercept members of congress and tell them to declare a climate emergency. the group says eight activists were charged with resisting arrest and were held overnight in jail. this demonstration comes as scientists say this july o'on strak to become the earth's hottest month on record ever and extreme weather has just slammed into the east coast. a tornado was confirmed on cape cod. it ripped the roof right off that hotel >> nbc's meteorologist janessa webb is here to tell us more >> this is just a cold front that will not go away here we are seeing it make its way offshore across the northeast in areas of the mid-atlantic, but

still a few showers from philadelphia to new york this morning. the cloud coverage going to stay in place across the northeast until about that noon, 1:00 hour but the front is flowing to the southeast here, causing these scattered storms across northern florida. and that will continue io nt se flowing florida highs in the upper 80s. we've been talking about this cold front for days. it just will not go away >> janessa, thank you. the 2019 vma nominations are in, and leading the pack is ariana grande and taylor swift, who both have ten nominations each singer billie i'llish earned nine nominations while lil' nas x is behind with eight the vmas also introduced to new

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>> kam and rai bryer are no lon considered missing the rcmp are now considering kam mcleod and bryer schmegelsky as suspects >> deese and fowler were on a romantic road trip when their bodies were found outside their broken down van shot to death police say the break came 300 miles from where the couple was found in british columbia. officers found a truck set on fire but no sign of its occupants. the childhood friends who are now suspects investigators say they're likely armed, maybe disguised, and on the run. >> we're asking for the public if you spot bryer or kam consider them dangerous. do not approach. >> reporter: police believe those two teens are also tied to another death in that same remote area. a man's body found very near where that burned-out car was located. >> that was morgan chesky reporting. still ahead, combine boxing -- or boxed wine. combining boxed wine with

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come on, baby. come on now. this is going to work. >> it's doing it >> ford's electric models will be built tough the company releasing this video showing an all electric prototype easily hauling over 1.2 million pounds that is roughly four times the towing capability of tesla's proposed electric pickup no word yet on the price or when the new f-150 will be ready. we are just one year away from the 2020 olympics in tokyo, if you can believe that, and athletes are already heading over to take a look at the

venues nbc's kurt gregory takes a closer look at the new events and some of the team usa athletes to watch. >> reporter: in one year athletes from 206 countries will compete in tokyo the summer olympics return to the japanese capital the 1964 games were the first in asia >> i think this sports-loving nation will embrace it, will be encouraging the athletes >> reporter: more than 11,000 athletes in all. and the 2020 games will sport a brand new look four new sports debut in tokyo ill straith the past, present, and future karate, a martial art dating back centuries rock climbing. surfing. and skateboarding. american snowboard olympic legend shaun white among the hopefuls >> i've been watching the competitions lately. i got really inspired. i've been doing a lot of skating myself this summer >> reporter: olympic champions including gymnast simone biles

and swimmer katie ledecky are expected to lead the largest american contingent ever and new faces will emerge on the track like american sprinter nora lyles >> everything is olympics. that's all we're going to be thinking about >> reporter: tokyo olympic organizers are thinking about the finish line. finishing the new permanent venues distributing enough tickets to match record demand. a venerable city and country ready to celebrate both the old and the new. kurt gregory, nbc news >> it's going to be here before we know it >> yeah. it's going to come just like that all right. krispy kreme fans, do we have a sweet piece of news for you. the donut shop opened a new concept store in north carolina. customers can now build their own donuts by choosing different glazes, toppings, drizzle flavors. they also added some new menu items like donut-infused ice cream and milk shakes and scoop sandwiches this location is just one of 45 new shops that will open across

the country through 2020 >> that was my face, that that kid just made right now. what ice cream sandwich donut oh, it will be so good >> thanks for waking up with us. i'm frances rivera >> intr aoducing my new spicy chicken strips combo. bigger, tastier strips of juicy chicken with crunchy batter. spice them up with hot sauce or cool them down with buttermilk ranch. try my 100% all-white meat spicy chicken strips combo today. only at jack in the box.

♪ try my $4.99 barbeque bacon double cheeseburger combo. and good wednesday morning to you, july th24th. taking a live look outside, a beautiful shot of downtown san jose. what a way to start our wednesday morning. thanks so much for joining us. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia. let's check that forecast and see how things are out there. pleasant right now. >> pleasant right now and it's going to heat up today. that's a live look outside in fremont, as you get ready to head out the door. skies are clear, temperatures are nice and cool in the low 60s now. it will warm up again quickly today. it will be warmer this afternoon, compared to yesterday. we'll get a look at owl all all microclimates coming up. mike has lane