extreme weather ahead. get ready for triple digit temperatures and heated ed advisories and the palace intrigue involving jeffrey epstein and the prin authorities stopped what they believe could have been four possible shootings. our pete williams has the details. and the latest in the search for the missing firefighters who went fishing off the coast of florida. >> they were in the same firefighting class together.

they're going to be looking out for each other, for sure and setting up your best friend in luxury canine cabins that have most humans passing for the comfort of home. "early today" starts right now >> good to be with you this morning. >> we begin with the latest round of wild weather hitting the country. check out this hailstorm here caught on camera in north carolina rush hour drivers were slammed with hail as large as dwaurters. and winds reaching up to 65 miles an hour were recorded in charlotte. janessa webb is here with more >> that's the big topic is the heat that's going to continue to build across the midwest and the northeast. that's allowing the storms to bubble up. severe weather risk is enhanced throughout the day across the upper midwest into the midwest, as well. we have nine states, 28 million for damaging winds also these isolated tornadoes,

really going to be possible this afternoon. with daytime highs, the air temperature in the 90s here. that's going to allow for these storms to spark up, the possibility of just a few supercells that make their way across illinois and kansas city this afternoon >> a lot of people there thank you. jeffrey epstein is dead, but the investigation is far from over the u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york is moving to drop the former financier's sex trafficking charges, since there's no one left in the case to prosecute. but in a letter to the court, the attorney said in part, his office remains committed to doing its ut most to tanstand up for the victims. a new report shows that jeffrey epstein signed his will just two days before his death. here's more. >> reporter: in the virgin islands where jeffrey epstein called home, a will filed before his death in federal custody it was signed two days before

his death for an estate worth $577 million also more fallout from his death. attorney general william barr reassigned the acting head of the bureau of prisons. britain's prince andrew is again trying to distance himself from his one-time friend. after this video surfaced in british media. they say it shows the duke at the doorway of the disgraced financier's new york mansion nbc news has not confirmed when the video was shot or if the prince is the person seen in the doorway. british media says it was recorded around the same time the pair was photographed together in new york, in 2010. that's after epstein was does ig nalted a sex offender. buckingham palace did not comment on the video, but in a statement said his royal hiness deplores the exploitation of

nigh han human being. prince andrew has faced accusations that he has denied this case not put to rest on either side of the atlantic. new developments this morning in the case of eric garner after more than five years, new york's police commissioner has fired the officer seen on video using a banned chokehold during garner's deadly arrest here's nbc's ron allen >> reporter: five years after this video showed officer daniel pantaleo arresting eric garner for selling untaxed cigarettes on a new york street new york's police commissioner fired pantaleo >> it's clear that daniel pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a police officer. >> reporter: for the family, a small victory. >> commissioner o'neil, thank you for doing the right thing. i sincerely thank you for firing

the officer. >> reporter: pantaleo, 34, 13 years on the force, had been restricted to desk duty since the incident a local grand jury and prosecutors chose not to file charges. but a judge recently found enough evidence that pantaleo used a choke hold to say he should be fired. >> what i want the residents of new york city to take from this is that there is accountability within the new york city police department it is fair and impartial >> reporter: the police union accused the commissioner of bowing to publish pressure >> our police officers are in distress, because they realize they're abandoned. >> reporter: for garner's family, it marks the first time in five years someone has been held accountable >> pantaleo, you may have lost your job, but i lost a son >> reporter: the garner family wants the criminal case reopened and other officers involved to face police discipline pantaleo's lawyer says he will appeal phillip? >> ron, thank you. police in four separate u.s.

cities say they have stopped what could have been mass shootings or bombing attacks two suspects had white supremacist leanings and two obsessed with mass shootings one of them, 20-year-old james reerdon pleaded no ee eed not g. nbc's pete williams has details. >> reporter: in a florida supermarket parking lot, authorities arrest a man 12 hours after getting a tip he was making threats 25-year-old tlisen wicks of daytona beach sent disturbing text messages to his ex-girlfriend, including i want to open fire on a large crowd of people instigats say he was fascinated with mass shootings in connecticut, police arrested 22-year-old brandon wagshaw after a tip to the fbi said he bought high capacity magazines out of state and he too was interested in mass violence,

though he signed a statement saying he did not have the intention of committing any mass shootings. in ohio, a search turned up four weapons after social media posts from 20-year-old james reerdon after he threatening a jewish community center >> i want a homeland for white people >> reporter: and las vegas police arrested 23-year-old connor climos, saying he talked with an undercover operative about attacking a synagogue or gay bar. a local tv news report showed him patrolling his neighborhood with an assault rifle. pete williams, nbc news, w washington last week, the israeli government denied entry to the two muslim congresswomen over their support of the palestinian led boycott movement for the first time, they spoke out, calling it an attempt to

suppress their jobs as elected officials. >> it is unfortunate that prime minister netanyahu has taken a page out of trump's book, and even this direction from president trump to deny this opportunity. >> we are going to hold our head up high and fight this administration >> israel did backtrack a little, stay saying tlaib could visit her family on humanitarian grounds. it's a major blow in a battle over abortion access. planned parenthood announcing it will withdraw from title x, the federally funded planning program. that's because of a gag order that prevents c s clinics that d provide abortion clinics forgiving referrals. the acting ceo of planned parenthood blamed the administration in an interview on msnbc

>> they put us in an untenable situation, and forced us out of a program because we refuse to be bullied into providing substandard care we need congress to act at this point. it is a complete all-out assault on reproductive health care. >> the organization has vowed to find ways to continue providing care caught on camera, a jewelry store owner fighting potential robbers. it happened during an attempted smash and grab robbery in california video captured the moments when one of the suspects rushes into the store and smashes a display case with a sledge hammer. the owner then rushes the suspect outside. then he was hit by another suspect. police say they have arrested four suspects, three of them are juveniles. this is a pretty surreal shot on the streets of colorado. it's being called the great mattress migration of 2019

150 mattresses were placed out in the open for movie under the stars. but the winds picked up and when the storm rolled in, the mattresses went flying, forcing people to chase after them some of them went quite a distance away. it's amazing >> it looks like a new plot to the shark nado movie >> they're fighting back >> we want to fight back sometimes against this heat. what's going on? >> you have to stay hydrated i i'm a winter fan cooler air is coming we're seeing a heat index here this morning, the air temperature combined with the dew points here. 84 for oklahoma. so this is oppressive heat unfortunately, it's going to continue you can see heat alerts and advisories that have calmed down that's goi tngo

today, but storms headed our way. tracking the stormy conditions coming up. a couple from france were arrested after allegedly stealing sand from an italian beach. the sand has become a very popular souvenir item. so much so the italian government has outlawed taking it and posted signs telling tourists not to do it. the french couple, who was found with 88 pounds of the sand, face up to six years behind bars. they claim they were not aware of the law >> 88 pounds what are they going to do with that >> sell it, i guess. still ahead, the song's record run comes to an end

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in today's news by the numbers, howard university is bringing back its golf teams for the first time in decades, all thanks to nba superstar steph curry. he's plenled a seven figure donation to be paid out over six years. although specific numbers were not disclosed. a 125-year-old silver dime has just sold for $1.3 million at auction only 24 dimes were struck at the san francisco mint in 1894 researchers today can only account for nine of them ♪ i got the horses in the bag mercifully, the end of the road the 19-week reign at the top of the bill boards with "old town road" has ended. there is an update in the intense all hands on deck search for two missing firefighters

officials say they have found an item belonging to one of them. the pair hasn't been seen since leaving for a fishing trip in florida last friday. officials say they are directing search efforts into the area where a bag was found. >> reporter: it's the rescue mission drawing hundreds to the waters off florida >> they've left no stone unturned >> reporter: kevin, confident his brother brian is alive after disappearing with justin walker. the two firefighters last seen before going out on a fishing trip on friday >> they went to firefighting school together. they're going to be looking out for each other >> reporter: the coast guard spending more than 70 hours scouring the waters, covering over 20,000 square miles >> they have the skills to survive for a long time. >> reporter: joining the search, 50 fellow firefighters, using their own boats. >> it's family and treated like it's something sacred and so

amazin amazing. >> reporter: the only clue recovered, a fishing bag found 50 miles offshore. >> they have the stubbornness and the drive. we are staying on it full course just ahead here on "early today," apple gets ready to make a splash in the streaming wars and a new zealand fight gets out of hand after a at istues slapped on to the skyline. you're watching "early today." ♪ goin' down the only road i've ever known ♪ ♪ like a drifter i was-- ♪ born to walk alone! ...barb! you left me hangin' on the high harmony there. if you ride, you get it. geico motorcycle. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. puberty means personal space. so sports clothes sit around growing odors.

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while i don't know the details of the allegations - >> my partner of 15 years was fired today. >> oh, wow, that was the first look at the new apple tv plus series, the morning show will dive in the high stakes world of morgue news and the lives of those america wakes up with every morning. it looks really good >> it does we learned another thing to watch, though, apple tv. another thing to add to things we need to watch with the heat waves, many of you probably had an argument like this. >> could you make it any hotter in here by the way >> feels good. 75 is perfect. >> i can't even sleep in here at night it's so hot.

>> i'm with larry here a report from energy star, it's going viral for recommending that people set their thermostats at 78 degrees at home and 82 when they're sleeping that's 82 degree recommendation is by far getting the most backlash i need it at least 15 degrees colder than that >> 82, come on that's too much, even for me here's a one dog house you would want to be sent to comes complete with a balcony front porch. the owner works for a fencing company and says the doggy mansion only took him three days to build as you can imagine, especially in big cities like new york city, that real estate right there is bigger than some people's apartment >> i hope they never show a homeless person in there look what they're doing for dogs

now. won't be a surprise if people in wellington, new zealand get a sneaking suspicion that somebody is watching them now, perched atop the city art gallery, there is quausi that is a 16 1/2 foot sculpture looking out over the town. reaction on twitter has been mixed to this piece of art some people are calling it the stuff of nightmares. on the other hand, this passenger is already booking flights to go see quausi >> creepy quausi, right there. up next, tense moments as two fishermen are stranded by raging river waters. you're watching "early today." whoops. sorry. unlike ordinary diapers pampers is the first and only diaper that distributes wetness evenly into three extra absorb channels. they stay up to three times drier so babies can sleep soundly all night

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and it helps prevent streaks and haze. stop cleaning. start swiffering a dramatic water rescue caught on camera four fishermen were trapped in the middle of india's river after a storm caused flooding. the indian air force rushed to the rescue, flying in on a helicopter and airlifting all four to safety according to the media, monsoon rains in the area have killed more than 40 people in the last 24 hours we have our own storms to wo worry about. with a lot of heat >> the heat advisories are minimal this morning, but they'll pick up throughout the afternoon. the northeast from richmond to raleigh here daytime highs back in the mid 90s. a cold front is on the way >> can't wait for that one just ahead, the fight to overturn a topless ban e seaiba borththca ld reefe e supreme court.

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30 years ago today, entertainment executive jose menendez and his wife were shot to death in their mansion. their sons were later convicted in a televised trial and here's how it was covered on nbc "nightly news. >> it is the unlikeliest sort of scene. two handsome men with a life of wealth and privilege, charged with the brutal murder of their own parents. it was late at night last august 20th the boys called police to report a vicious shotgun killing. >> lyle and eric menendez are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

in today's top stories, the u.s. supreme court is being asked to decide whether to take up a case that challenges a new hampshire city's ban on women being topless in public. three women, who were convicted of public nudity, say it violates the constitution by treating men and women differently. they say it's discriminatory because men can appear in public without shirts the high court is expected to decide in october whether it will hear the case a former employee of robert de niro is being accused of watching too much netflix. the lawsuit accuses her of charges hundreds of thousands of personal expenses on a company card and binge watching tv shows on company time. they say the employee watched 55 episodes of "friends" over a four-day period. >> it is a good show texas is the latest state to be the target of ransom ware

awacs. that's when software is used to lock up systems until a ransom is paid. in june, a city in florida paid $600,000 to have their systems restored 23 towns in texas have been hit, and most were small local governments. it's unclear if texas has paid any ransom, but agencies are helping with the recovery. dwayne johnson announced that he got married over the weekend to his long-time girlfriend he revealed the big news by posting a wedding photo captioned in part, we do, august 18, 2019 according to "people," they first met in 2006 on a movie set. and then started dating in 2007. the couple has been together for nearly a decade and have two children the 16th faiparagliding

championships took place looks like a bunch of colorful nail clippings >> not as gross. >> thanks for waking up with us. more news is straight ahead.

welcome to tuesday morning. it's august 20th. taking a live look outside, palo alto, looks like folks are already up and out the door. if you're just waking up, thanks so much for starting your morning with us. good morning. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm kris sanchez, in for marcus washington. ten times the traffic that we had earlier this morning. it really builds at 4:00 in the morning. it is nice and cool outside. >> it's cool. it's going to be our last day to enjoy mother nature, because a warmup is already under way. right now in san jose, we're comfortable, 62 degrees. wind speeds light at 7 miles per hour and as we head in towards the afternoon once again any cloud cover in inland areas will begin to clear right a