somebody had to do it. i am the chosen one. somebody had to do it. so i'm taking on china >> trump defending his china trade war to launching a new offensive in the border battle we'll break it all down as president trump goes off the cuff in a free-wheeling free for all. >> a miracle on a runway, passengers escape minutes before their plane burst into flames. >> e-cigarettes caught in a cloud of controversy amid the start of the school year the new vaping concerns as dozens more are hospitalized >> say yes to the dress, every day. the bride makes it her mission to get the most from her gown. "early today" starts right now >> good thursday morning

i'm phillip mena >> and i'm frances rivera. more whiplash at the white house this morning as president trump back tracks on both gun control and tax cuts the president reversing course on background checks for buying weapons after a conversation with the nra chief and he's also pulling his proposed payroll tax cut off the table. but the mixed messages end at immigration. the administration making it clear it wants to remove limits on how long it can detain migrant families and children. nbc's tracie potts joins us from d.c. with the latest tracie, good morning >> reporter: frances, good morning. the homeland security is announcing it now wants right and plans to hd migrant families for longer than the 20 days currently 20-day rule, the applies to facilities that are run by states, but not the federal government also, president trump pretty boldly here is now saying he wants to look at not allowing people who are born in this country to automatically become

citizens it's a constitutional right. >> we're looking at that very seriously, birthright citizenship, where you have a baby on our land, you walk over the border, have a baby, congratulations, the baby is now a u.s. citizen we're looking at it very, very seriously. >> reporter: also some concern here in washington about what many see as the president's shifting message on gun laws remember after the shootings in el paso and dayton, he came out pretty strongly for background checks and he still says he has an appetite for background checks but after another conversation with the nrae national rifle association, he's also pushing their message, saying many of these gun laws could become a slippery slope to rolling back the second amendment, and we are also now seeing him talk a lot more about mental health many people consider that blaming mental health for some of the mass shootings that we've seen the white house behind the scenes trying to figure out what is the message going to be and what kind of legislation can

they get behind and get the senate to support. >> all right, tracie potts for us tracie, thank you. >> now to an incredible story of survival from northern california this video shows a small plane that caught fire after sliding off of a runway and into dry grass. that fire soon grew much larger, but not before everybody on board was able to escape here's nbc's miguel almaguer >> drove off the fire engulfed >> reporter: the ten people aboard the small plane fully engulfed in flames with thick billowing smoke from the aircraft somehow all survived. the explosive crash at the oroville airport happened after the twin engine jetta aborted take off, sliding off the runway into dry grass, catching fire. >> i came out and saw a lot of black smoke filling up the sky there was a lot of concern >> reporter: with no reports of any serious injuries, the plane was taking off from a small municipal airport near chico in northern california, headed to

portland, oregon the faa and ntsb will now investigate what went wrong. >> i am really shocked that people got out unharmed in this thing. >> reporter: with the airport close to homes -- >> airplane is still running and the flames are going around it >> reporter: firefighters battled to contain flames as the blaze quickly spread and shutdown nearby roads. but crews had the fire under control. after eight passengers and two crew members walked away from this crash miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> police in california say a warning from a hotel employee prevented what could have been a mass shooting. >> suspect montoya had clear plans, intent, and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass casualty incident. >> 37-year-old rudolfo montoya a marriott hotel is accused of tellina corker that heplned to

and employees. when they searched his home they found several ammunition and weapons. he was charged with making a criminal threat and violating gun laws >> an 11-year-old boy says he's lucky to be alive after getting attacked by a shark on a beach in florida wednesday morning a woman in hawaii is recovering after she was bitten twice nbc's steve patterson has their stories of survival. >> reporter: with every new step he takes, 11-year-old christian mariani will be reminded how lucky he is to walk at all >> the scariest feeling i think that i have ever experienced in my life. >> he has a fish bite to the leg. >> reporter: that call came in from fort lauderdale tourist sunbathing by th they heard a chilling sound. >> the boy was screaming outside, just jumped out of the water. >> reporter: emergency workers say christian suffered a small puncture wound on his right foot that painful picture shows first responders patching up the result of what was likely a shark bite >> i feel more lucky than

unlucky. i know it's a very low chance to get bit by a shark >> reporter: just a day earlier and a few thousand miles away, another attack first responders treating a 26-year-old woman in kona, hawaii, bitten twice in the lower back and hip, but escaping with her life. they're the latest in a series of summer shark attacks, stoking fears near coasts across the country. the most recent victims fortunate they're able to tell their own shark tales. >> i'm going to definitely look around before everywhere i go in water. >> reporter: steve patterson, nbc news >> the latest round of protests in hong kong took a chaotic turn hundreds gathered for a sit-in at a train station marking one month since peaceful protests were attacked by mobs linked to organized crime. when riot police showed up outside, things escalated drastically. protesters started building makeshift barricades out of overturned trash cans and other items. they spread water and soap across the floor in anticipation of a clash with police that

never came since the officers stayed outside this lasted for about two hours before the protesters left >> climate experts are raising the alarm about a dire situation in the amazon. this dramatic video shows fire ravaging the rain forest in brazil research shows those wildfires are getting much worse and now the air we breathe is in jeopardy here is nbc's ann thompson >> reporter: this is brazil's dry season when wildfires dot the amazon but not like this. three weeks of raging fires setting off alarm bells around the world. there's so much sunomoke nasa'st light captured it from space pushing smoke into cities more than a thousand miles away brazil's space agency reporting a staggering number of fires, almost 73,000 since january, an 83% increase over last year. why the rise human activity is suspected, particularly burning to clear

land for farming, ranching and mining development encouraged by brazil's president >> the impact is devastating because it's destroying a unique irreplaceable eco systems and worsening climate change at the same time. >> reporter: the amazon is the planet's biggest tcae lungs of h because it absorbs carbon dioxide, the gas fueling climate change and releases 20% of the world's oxygen the chief of this rain forest tribe fears if the land is not preserved, it will all disappear. a vital natural wonder going up in smoke ann thompson, nbc news >> an ohio man dangerous way of doing yard work is believed to have started a dramatic fire authorities are investigating the cause of this blaze after reports the man was burning weed with a blow torch. an official cause has yet to be determined there were no injuries reported from the fire which involved at least three homes and two cars >>all right. nbc meteorologist bill karins is

joining us this morning. got some good news for us. >> yeah, it's arriving it has opened the door and a little taste of fall is arriving it's in the 50s right now, fargo and duluth that's like windows open it's a little chilly in the bedroom. now the temperatures are going to start dropping in areas of the great lakes. for today the high stems, this is a good time of year when it's cool at night and the daytime it recovers nicely and is still warm in the 70s in chicago, 4 to 6 to 7 degrees below normal as we go towards tomorrow, we see the cooler dryer air mass sweeping into the great lakes and the northeast, even areas like new york city will only reach the upper 70s. at last right into the coming weekend, areas of the south, even nashville, it's still going to be in the 80s still very warm. the humidity levels will be so much lower, so much more comfortable whenou'r y

hard to get the cool air mass into the deep south. still fighting the hig today upcoming weekend, unfortunately not everyone is going to enjoy this great air mass. some people will have a rainy weekend. details coming >> after all that, some people won't enjoy it bill, thank you. in today's quick hits katie williams has been stripped of her crown as miss nevada she claimed she is being unfairly targeted because she supports president trump while organizers insist she failed to separate political activism from her pageant persona. >> the plane crash dale earnhardt, jr., still plans to get behind the wheel at next week's xfinity race. he's been treating his back solely to get ready for this >> $3 llmiion in debt wiped out for neighbors. they work with a nonprofit that specializes in helping people. y? sensitivity. i should see my dentist. my teeth have been really sensitive lately.

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allows users to create avatars and virtual worlds for those characters to roam around in the accounts were removed after flagged by nbc news. they say in part, we strive to do everything we can to prevent and detect behavior that violates our terms of service. >> leading the news, the safety of e-cigarettes is under increased scrutiny as even more people including teenagers are being hospitalized for severe lung disease linked to vaping. nbc's kristen dahlgren has more on the urgent call for action. >> reporter: this was 17-year-old tristan less than a month ago. >> i could feel my heart pounding out of my chest >> reporter: his lungs so damaged he was unable to breathe on his own >> the day they intubate him was the worst day of my life >> reporter: doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong until they found out tristan had been vaping he's now one of more than 150 cases of vaping-related lung disease being investigated

across the country >> no one has beavor or what brand or put any one thing together that has led to this increase >> reporter: the american vaping association says the evidence continues to point to street-bought vaping cartridges containing thc or synthetic drugs. the fda which regulates e-cigarettes says it's working with cdc and state health officials as quickly as possible to gather more information scott gottleib was the head of that agency until april. >> we addicted a whole generation of kids through vaping products. this isn't like a king fab you can turnoff. >> reporter: he calls it an addiction crisis >> we're going to have to ask whether some of these products should come off the market >> reporter: tristan who is likely to have permanent lung scarring vows to never touch a vice-presidenting cigarette again. >> when you walk into the bathroom, you'll see ten or 12 kids huddling around if the short term effects are this bad, what good can come ought of it? >> reporter: questions now

facing health officials and millions of kids headed back to school kristen dahlgren, nbc news >> still ahead, the surprising design flaw on apple's new credit card that could keep it out of wallets and make every day your big day how a new bride is getting her money's worth in her wedding dress. >> first celebrating birthdays, bride made star 46 dee loren sa 49. "modern family" 52 "laverne & shirley" williams 72. and the yaz red sox legend also turns 80 years old today so you can enjoy it even if you're sensitive. delicious. now, i've heard people say lactaid isn't real milk. ok, well, if it isn't real then, i guess those things over there can't actually be cows. must be some kind of really big dogs, then.

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it's hot in here >> that's such a simple basic trailer, powerful. that is charlize theron transformed into megyn kelly which is about sexual misconduct allegations against the late fox news executive roger ailes it features nicole kidman. this is fresh off "the voice," the showtime series, so powerful >> it was incredible look at the makeup in this, just blows my mind how uncanny. two of the most famous women in the world portraying two other recognizable people so effectively. i believe december is when that is going to come out oi >> actor liam hemsworth

officially filed for divorce from miley cyrus irreconcilable differences for the split from the singer. miley seems to be moving along fast she's been locking lips with carter she sent brodie jenner a joint weed like to wish you a happy birthday she posted the gift on instagram. >> celebrity break ups, how they do it. apple is rolling out its new credit card as the visionarytec. the apple cart is laser etched onto titanium and it's that metal that may give people some problems on the apple care website, it said some fabrics like leather and denim might cause permanent discoloration to the card that will not wash out. problem is many wallets are made from the materials

apple says to store the card in your wallet, pocket or bag made of soft materials. kind of a little afterthought that you think they'd think about before >> yeah, right it's really just the card that gets discolored. i guess it doesn't matter. it will still run, take your money, all of that all right. >> a wedding dress is often a once in a lifetime opportunity but why does it have to be dawn wynfield hunt got married earlier this month and decided to wear hes anthe wedding, barbecue, her friends loved it she's been to concerts, paddle boarding, even cleaning the house in her wedding gown. makes sense. i don't know that the dry cleaning and the washing situation, though. >> job interviews, work, church, i don't know >> might get a little old. >> other people's weddings >> oh, boy, that may be where she draws the line >> gelts problematic after awhile just ahead what researchers are learning from new images of the

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>> the weight of that, too, must have been incredible let's get to this weekend forecast we already mentioned some areas of the great lakes, ohio valley are going to be nearly perfect this weekend unfortunately that front stalls out a little bit showers and storms in the forecast pretty much all weekend long in areas of south carolina. on saturday we're going to push those showers and storms to southern arkansas, alabama, mississippi. one good day in virginia by the time we get to sunday, still dealing with the southeast storms but gorgeous is the rule for a lot of people in the northeast >> gorgeous, i like it e ldckmyerinome ba, sty thwi an electric toothbrush. but my hygienist said going electric could lead to way cleaner teeth. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand go pro with oral-b. oral-b's accepted by the ada for its effectiveness and safety. what an amazing clean! i'll only use an oral-b! oral-b. brush like a pro.

puberty means personal space. so sports clothes sit around growing odors. that's why we graduated to tide pods sport. finally something more powerful than the funk. tide sport removes even week-old sweat odor. it's got to be tide. investigating a mystery illness. panthers and bobcats struggling officials in florida are with coordination and dragging themselves on the ground rare florida erry sanders

panther, one of nature's most graceful and athletic creatures, now laid low by a mysterious threat florida's fish and wildlife agency sharing this video of a panther and bobcat struggling to walk, stumbling, then falling. their hind legs virtually useless. >> my best guess is these animals have ingested some type of toxin . >> reporter: authorities have confirmed two cases of neurological damage to these big cats trail cameras show at least nine others, mostly k, hobbled with similar symptoms. with fewer than 200 florida panthers estimated in the wild, they're protected by the endangered species act biologists have yet to determine what's crippling the cats. experts are testing for various potential toxins as well as infectious diseases and nutritional their hands on ay' be sure what's causing this problem. >> reporter: state wildlife officials are now asking for the public's help, hoping more footage of stumbling wild cats may lead to an answer of how

widespread and long lastin ese symp nay be. kerry sanders, nbc news. >> nearly 100 amazon boxes addressed to customers in california never made it to their destinations instead they were found opened and emptied near the guadalupe river in san jose. while searching for a stolen bike, erik and his girlfriend stumbled across the empty boxes over the weekend amazon has released a statement saying that they are, quote, working with make it right >> official tourism business is struggling arrivals are dowt year this comes as the trump administration policy makes it harder to get travel exemptions to the island nation cuba has downgraded its total estimate of tourists for 2019 from more than 5 million to 4.3 million. that would be an 8.5% decline from 2018. >> for the first time in 14 years, images of the titanic wreckage have been captured and

revealed a team led by explorer victor vescovo deployed a special submarine to examine the remains of the ship. the footage was taken, captured by high-powered specially adapted cameras to reveal the deterioration. it may help scientists predict how quickly the wreckage will continue to deteriorate. >> fascinating to see. >> look at that.k didn't have to die, right? >> it it was right there we know now. >> thanks for waking up with us. i'm phillip mena >> and i'm frances rivera. your news continues right here

a peek outside, folks up and out the door. mike has a look at the morning commute. i personally thought there were more people on the roadway right

now. >> yeah. let's get to kari hall with the weather. it was warmer than what we are ed >> yeah, feels humid. >> i thought it was just the news room. >> no, look at the temperatures at the bottom of the screen. we are already in the upper 60s. we are going to stay there through 7:00 and then rise into the 70s. it will be a