mr. vice president, you were bragging, calling it the biden crime bill up to 2015. >> thank you >> everybody is talking about how terrible im on these issues barack obama knew exactly who i was. he had ten lawyers do a background check on everything about me in civil rights, civil liberties, and he chose me and he said it was the best decision he made. i trust his judgment. >> joe biden versus everyone the former vice president fends off a full-fledged assault in a fiery round two on the debate tapes. >> the fed cuts interest rates for the first time in a decade what the historic move means for a wallet. >> and a new proposal could cut

your prescription costs, but it is a tough pill to swallow for the pharmaceutical engine. trading a hot dog for a cone >> no. >> a new flavor ice cream cut the mustard, gross "early today" starts right now good morning i'm milissa rehberger. >> and i'm fellowshphillip mena night two of the second democratic presidential debate they took a break from fighting for your vote to fight each other, but they did agree on one thing. president trump has got to go. >> donald trump is not behavioring like a patriot >> we're in a battle for the soul of america. >> i believe that we in the united states congress should start impeachment proceedings immediately. >> conversely, if mitch mcconnell is one that lets him off the hook, we're going to be the one to say for sure -- >> thank you >> but his friend, mitch mcconnell, moscow mitch, let him

off the hook. >> he needs to be held accountable. i've seen people go to prison for far less. >> the first thing that i'm going to do when i'm president is i'm going to coopt the oval office >> the president fired back on twitter saying that the people on stage were not those that will either make america great again or keep america great. nbc's tracie potts has more on the showdown from d.c. this morning. tracie, good morning the main target seemed to be front-runner joe biden >> right, phillip, and that was no big surprise. we knew after the first debate that biden had to be prepared for this after decades in washington, he has a long record, and it was a lot of information for his opponents to feed off of last night, going after him on health care, on the environment, on foreign policy, on a number of things where biden seemed to be the big target of the night. >> mr. president, there is a saying in my community, you're dipping into the kool aid and you don't even know the flavor.

>> first of all, vice president, it look likes one of us have learned the lessons of the past, and one of us haven't. >> mr. president you want to be president of the united states, you need to be able to answer the tough questions. i guarantee you, if you're debating donald trump, he is not going let you off the hook. >> one of the other big issues they talked about last night and biden defended himself is health care remember the night before, it was the progressives talking about medicare for all but biden defended his plan, saying eventually someone is going to have to pay premiums. >> this idea is a bunch of malarkey, what we're talking about here the fact of the matter is, the fact of the matter is that there will be a deductible there will be a deductible and paycheck bernie acknowledges it bernie acknowledges it $30 trillion has to ultimately be paid. and i don't know what matthew do in new york. i don't know what matthew do in california, but i tell you, that's a lot of money.

and there will be a deductible the deductible will be out of your paycheck, because that's what will be required. i have the only plan that limits the ability of insurance companies to charge unreasonable prices, flat-out. >> talking about medicare for all, which was a big focus the night before and what won't he believes be a completely free plan for those who are on that plan, if in fact it goes through. so we had the democrats attacking president trump. the democrats attacking each other, whether they were on stage or not, and many of the democrats attacking vice president joe biden, who remains the front-runner in the polls. >> we can do it all again in about six weeks when the third debate happens tracie potts in d.c. for us, thank you, tracie. for the first time in more than a decade, the federal reserve is cutting its key interest rates the chairman announcing a drop of a quarter point nbc's tom costello break downs the reaction to this and what it might mean for you

[ closing bell ] >> red arrows on wall street after the fed cut interest rate base quarter point and no more dow industrials sliding 333 points despite good economic indicator, fed chairman jerome power made clear a slowing global economy and the trade war with china posed real risks. >> the outlook for the u.s. economy remains favorable, and this action is designed to support that outlook. >> reporter: the quarter point rate cut comes after nine rate hikes since 2015 president trump has demand rate cuts and tweeted disappointment that the cut wasn't bigger powell let us down, but at least he sending quantitative tightening or rate hikes, which shouldn't have started in the first place. no inflation but trade talks with china have stalled, and some experts suggest china hopes to delay until the 2020 elections in new jersey, owner steven lange says higher tariffs on the wedding gowns he imports from china would force him to double prices. >> tariffs don't work. isolationism doesn't work.

this is a world economy, and we're hurting ourselves more than we are benefitting anybody. it's just the wrong move at the wrong time. >> reporter: meanwhile, here is how the rate cut could affect you. mortgage rates have already dropped to below 4%, on a $200,000 loan, a savings of $300 a month. on a $2500 credit card balance, your minimum monthly payment will drop by just 50 cents the real question this morning is whether the fed might cut rates again. the fed won't commit, but the slowing global economy and the trade war both pose potential risks to the economy, and the fed also wants to see a slight uptick in inflation so lower rate mace help milissa? >> tom, thank you. more than eight years after the death of osama bin laden, u.s. officials tell nbc news that his son is dead hamza was largely expected to be the face of al qaeda's next generation

his last known public statement was released by the terror group last year. officials did not say where, when, or how he died in february, the state department announced a $1 million reward for information about hamza's whereabouts. the death happened some time during the trump administration, but it's unclear what role the u.s. government played in that, if any president trump declined to comment on the issue new developments in the case of two american teenagers arrested in the murder of an italian police officer with investigators revealing finnegan lee elder's violent past a spokesperson for the san francisco district attorney's office told nbc news elder was involved in an alleged assault here in the states richard engel has the latest >> reporter: the father of one of two american teens accused of murdering an italian policeman arrived in rome as new details emerge about his son, 19-year-old finnegan elder, who police say stabbed officer mario rega 11 times with a commando

knife after police were called in following a drug buy that went wrong italian media airing this video not verified by nbc news, believed to be the suspects fleeing. elder had a history of violence. his uncle told the ap his nephew was involved in fight nights in a san francisco park that three years ago finnegan was arrested after fighting a 16-year-old boy who was hospitalized with a severe head wound. the father of the other teen under investigation, 18-year-old gabriel hjorth visited his son in custody in a statement saying his son is devastated, never imagined there would be a confrontation with police and didn't know elder was carrying a knife milissa, hjorth's father says he is confident his son is innocent both families have hired italian lawyers. milissa? >> richard, thank you. authorities are investigating a devastating house explosion in western pennsylvania it happened in washington county

near pittsburgh. as you can see, the house flattened. nearby houses were damaged too officials say a gas leak is suspected. at least five people were injured. broadway dimmed the lights for the legendary director and producer hal prince. prince is behind some of the biggest hits like west side story, phantom of the opera. his career span in order than six decades. 21 tony awards and a life achievement award. che chita rivera is saddened beyond words. and his friendship meant everything, he actually framed the first email that prince ever wrote to him and kept it in his office hal prince has died at the age of 91. all right. it's time to change the page on the calendar it is now august vanessa webb is here with the very first forecast of the month. good morning >> welcome to the first of the month. we're going to see a change in

the weather pattern. stormy conditions still for the plains this morning, and still dealing with that really stubborn front for the midatlantic to the southeast now we're going to lose the storms for the northeast humidity starting to already go down for the midwest northeast is still going to be a hot and steamy day and we're still following this rain look at accumulation through saturday afternoon from the carolinas all the way into the southeast up to 1 2toor the so rain continues for at least the next three days. so less humidity people can breathe again, and a lot of people are happy about that. >> great news. >> better hair days. thank you, jan necessary salt. today's quick hits some good samaritans are being hailed as heroes after they helped rescue a motorcyclist who

was trapped under a vehicle. police say the accident happened after the biker made an unsafe lane change and struck the rear of the pickup. move over, ladies. the male makeup market is booming. one in 20 in the uk now wear makeup frequently. one of the contributing factors is social media. ing he began mark neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. making wrinkles look so last week. rapid wrinkle repair® pair with new retinol oil for 2x the wrinkle fighting power. neutrogena® there's so much scent in new gain scent blast detergent... ...you'll either love it or...

mmm... i guess not. new gain scent blast. love it or hate it. it's intense. everyone gets $10 kohl's cash for every $50 spent! earn it on everything!... like $30 on a fitbit... or $60 kohl's cash on this dyson! spend it on anything! plus - save even more on your back-to-school purchase! plus - free amazon returns now at all kohl's stores! kohl's. my bladder leak underwear.orried someone might see so, i switched. to always discreet boutique. its shape-hugging threads smooth out the back. so it fits better than depend. and no one notices. always discreet. that i won the "best of" i casweepstakes it. and i get to be in this geico commercial? let's do the eyebrows first, just tease it a little.

slather it all over, don't hold back. well, the squirrels followed me all the way out to california! and there's a very strange badger staring at me... no, i can't believe how easy it was to save hundreds of dollars on my car insurance with geico. uh-huh, where's the camel? "mr. big shot's" got his own trailer. ♪ wheeeeeee! believe it! geico could save you 15% or more on car insurance. a couple of cars with big engines are the most likely to be stolen. that's according to the highway data institute they say the powerful dodge charger hemi and hellcat are five times more likely to be stolen than the average car. and the least stolen vehicles are electric after the bmw 3 series, it's the tesla models s and x that thieves are most likely to leave alone. leading the news, a disturbing story from dallas

involving a man who called police for help but wound up dying in police custody instead. newly released body cam video raises questions about how equipped police departments are to deal with people with mental illness. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the video, which we should warn you is disturbing. >> help me help me! >> reporter: tony tempa has called 911 himself, telling a dispatcher that he suffered from schizophrenia and depression and was off his medicine. >> get on the ground. >> no, you're going to kill me you're going to kill me! >> reporter: these body camera videos from august of 2016 were obtained by nbc station kxas and "the dallas morning news" after a lengthy legal battle tempa is restrained for 14 minutes as officers laugh and crack jokes. >> still with us >> reporter: then he goes quiet. as he is loaded on to a stretcher, the officers realize he might not be breathing. in an ambulance, paramedics begin treating him

>> he's not breathing? >> nope. >> reporter: the officers appear stunned. >> he what >> he's dead >> reporter: an autopsy revealed tempa died from cardiac arrest caused by cocaine in his system and the stress of being restrained early their year the dallas district attorney dismissed pending misdemeanor charges against three officers, but his family is now suing, alleging excessive force. >> he was not armed. he was not threatening the officers so as a result, his death was an inexcusable tragedy. >> reporter: a recent study found that people with mental illness are 16 times more likely than others to be killed by police >> officers are not equipped to deal with mentally ill right now. and we're just beginning now to make this a universal standard >> reporter: dallas police say two of the officers at the scene got written reprimands, but all of them are on the job gabe gutierrez, nbc news up next, mustard ice cream the most questionable twist on a

condiment that you will see all summer tanduay the music died ity woodstock 50 is calling you're watching "early today." (gasps) what? (laughs) ooh! woah... ♪ i just can't be polite ♪ ♪ don't worry about me ♪ ♪ i'm doing good ♪ ♪ i'm doing great all right ♪ ( ♪ ) walgreens. save your skin today. all sun care products are now buy one get one 50% off. all sun care products are now with tough food, your dentures may slip and fall. fixodent ultra-max hold gives you the strongest hold ever to lock your dentures. so now you can eat tough food without worry. fixodent and forget it. ( ♪ ) only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes.

they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol®. and take 25% off our best active brands! get to kohl's... plus - everyone gets kohl's cash! save on women's nike separates... boy's under armour - just $14.99... save on adidas backpacks... and converse for the family! plus - free amazon returns now at all kohl's stores! this weekend... at kohl's. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck... that's when you know, it's half-washed. downy helps prevent stretching by conditioning fibers, so clothes look newer, longer. downy and it's done.

so it did get contentious at times tonight, and am i right about this we have some footage of joe biden in a spirited disagreement with senators gillibrand and harris

>> about right that's about what it looked like. >> it did. >> the only difference, former vice president was -- i think he was ready for it this time, unlike last time he was a little stunned. modern family, they are preparing to say goodbye after 11 seasons the star-studded cast got together for their last table reading. and to honor the moment, they recreated a photo when from when the show started ten years ago they took it in the studio lot sofia vergara got a side by side image showing their respective onscreen families. ten years later, "modern family" #our last season the show premiered in twine and has since won 22 emmys >> wild, right >> ed o'neil i thought we were always going to know him as al bundy. full resurgence. saturday is national mustard day. and the brand french's has found a new use for the condiment. it might be a little

questionable mustard flavored ice cream yeah, no they shared a recipe on their website for anyone who wants to try it or if you live in new york or los angeles, the ice cream company cool house will be serving it up over the next two days that's a hard pass. >> i'd rather eat a grasshopper pizza. we were talking about that yesterday. >> with mustard in it. >> none of that. woodstock 50 has been wood stopped. the anniversary festival was officially canceled yesterday after headliner, including miley cyrus and jay-z pulled out widely publicized money and venue issues had critics predicting this announcement for months organizer michael lange, who also planned the original woodstock, hold rolling stone that he was disappointed to pull the plug he blames early creative disputes with financial backers for derailing the event. we have been doing stories for days leading up to that. artist after artist was pulling out. it was starting to get that fire festival vibe. >> all the signs were there. well, when we come backs, a

florida family's backyard surprise u e tcngeay dayoarwahi "rltoy. always a catch. like somehow you wind up getting less. but now that i book at hilton.com, and i get all these great perks. i got to select my room from the floor plan... very nice... i know, i'm good at picking stuff. free wi-fi... laptop by the pool is a bold choice... and the price match guarantee. how do you know all of this? are you like some magical hilton fairy? it's just here on the hilton app. just available to the public, so... book at hilton.com and get the hilton price match guarantee. if you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25% off that stay. laso you can enjoy it even ifst you're sensitive. se. yet some say it isn't real milk. i guess those cows must actually be big dogs. sit! i said sit! jimmy's gotten used to his whole yup, he's gone noseblind. odors. 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. i wish i could tell ya how i feel about a mornin' like this. and that includes a good hearty breakfast. you need somethin' to kinda warm the whole body up and gets it going. it's a great way to kick off your day.

everyone gets $10 kohl's cash for every $50 spent! earn it on everything!... like $30 on a fitbit... or $60 kohl's cash on this dyson! spend it on anything! plus - save even more on your back-to-school purchase! plus - free amazon returns now at all kohl's stores! kohl's. but one blows them allmany moisturizers... out of the water. hydro boost with hyaluronic acid to plump skin cells so it bounces back... neutrogena® and try our hydrating makeup. imagine going for a dip in your pool and you find an alligator swimming around. well, it happened to a family in nebraska -- no, it wasn't nebraska it was in florida. of course it's florida, come on. a small gator. >> now that would be a story. >> a small gator lounging out in their pool the kids wanted to keep it as a pet. >> i would too. >> they were pretty bummed out because the dad called authorities to get it out of

there. they did get to pet the alligator once its mouth was taped shut. >> meanwhile, the alligator got gypped it's a pool. i'm an alligator what's the problem i was ready for a picnic and everything >> and went so wrong so quickly for the alligator. >> small gators. >> a small gator >> a dangerous gator >> dangerous did you see the kids they just wanted to play with it it is not the time run quickly away from that let's take a look at your weather forecast upper midwest, we're going to continue to watch a few storms flowing through. should it be nice and hot and steamy for the pacific northwest, for northern california going to be some scattered storms throughout the start of your weekend if you have to choose a day for your weekend for the northeast to the midwest, it's going to be sunday afternoon i can't say this much, pleasant conditions >> all right >> i like it it's been a while. it's been way too long janessa, our top stories are just ahead, including the surprising new trump administration policy proposal that could cut your drug costs get to kohl's...

and take 25% off our best active brands! plus - everyone gets kohl's cash! save on women's nike separates... boy's under armour - just $14.99... save on adidas backpacks... and converse for the family! plus - free amazon returns now at all kohl's stores! this weekend... at kohl's.

today's top story, a search and rescue is under way for a missing pilot after a navy fighter jet crashed near death valley national park the f/a-18 was on a training mission over the park. seven people on the ground were injured. they were visiting the area known as the star wars canyon. military jets are not allowed to fly over national parks, but an exception was made over this area 25 years ago. it's become a popular place to watch military training flights. the status of the pilot is unknown at this moment, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. a major issue affecting americans, affordable health care the trump administration is taking the first steps to help stop the cost of prescription drugs by importing them from

canada it's a move that could end up saving millions of americans from rising drug costs nbc's craig boswell has more >> reporter: the government says skyrocketing drug prices force millions of americans to ration life-saving medications. many like paul and annie thompson have taken another road they drive hundreds of miles to a pharmacy in canada. >> when your insulin is out, it's out >> you were down to that day. >> reporter: the trump administration outlined a proposal that could allow americans to legally import prescription drugs from canada so the burden now is on states, pharmacies and wholesalers to come in with plans so we can look at them and approve them to let cheaper expensive drugs come into the united states from canada. >> reporter: critics say it's just a plan. >> people think they've done something, and it never follows through. >> reporter: a kaiser family foundation poll shows six in ten americans currently take prescription medicine. 80% say one of the best ways to save is to buy in canada president trump has criticized the price paid by u.s. kurm

consumers. >> why should other nations pay much less than us? >> reporter: earlier this week bernie sanders crossed the border to buy insulin he says costs about $400 in the u.s. >> here in canada, it will cost 35 or 40 bucks 1/10 the price. >> reporter: pharma, the lobbying group for pharmaceuticals calls the proposal a scheme that is far too dangerous and warns drugs coming through canada may not have undergone stringent review by the fda craig boswell, nbc news, washington we're hitting the home stretch of the major league baseball season as the league's trade deadline has now come and gone pitchers are on the move as teams try to shore up their rotation and their bullpen for the postseason run none of the trades bigger than the one that send zack greinke from the diamondbacks to the astros houston becomes the world series favorite, all for four minor league prospects i happened to be at the game where zack greinke pitched his

last game against the yankees. >> that is fun. >> i'm an astros fan it's going to go down this year. >> thank you for waking up with us i'm milissa rehberger. >> and i'm phillip mena. coming up on the country show, they have dis rk

good morning to you on this thursday, august 1st. take a look out at san mateo bridge. let's check the forecast for today. foggy in some parts? >> yeah, foggy along the coast and cooler temperatures for the inland valleys today. we are getting ready for another nice one and as we take a look outside in palo alto, as you get ready to head out the door we have upper 50s. south bay high temperatures in