breaking overnight reports of tornadic activity causing major damage in the dakotas. we'll have the latest. another bombshell for the nfl's antonio brown. his future with the new england patriots now in jeopardy after being accused in a federal lawsuit of raping a former trainer. thank you next president trump is on the hunt for his fourth national security adviser in three years after john bolton was fired. or maybe he quit it really depends on whose word you believe. another death linked to e-cigarettes as pressure builds on the fda to take action to stop the vaping epidemic and as we mark the anniversary of 9/11, the story

of firefighter trainees who are the children of first responders lost on that horrific day 18 years ago. "early today" starts right now good wednesday morning i'm frances rivera >> and i'm phillip mena. that breaking news just one day after officially signing with the new england patriots antonio brown is accused of sexual assault a civil lawsuit was filed by his former trainer, brittany taylor, in the southern district of florida. taylor alleges the wide receiver sexually assaulted her twice in june of 2017 and then allegedly raped her in may of 2018 brown met taylor while they were attending the university of central michigan together and later 450ihired her as a trainer brown's attorney has denied all accusations against his client clamg the two engaged in a consensual personal relationship the new england patriots have issued a statement saying in part they're taking the accusations very seriously and it does not condone sexual violence or assault. no criminal charges have been

filed and it's not clear if taylor reported these accusations to police. now to republicans, who are claiming victory in a special election widely seen as a bellwether for president trump in 2020. dan bishop narrowly edged out democrat dan mccready, winning north carolina's 9th congressional district, 51% to 49%. republicans also notched a win in the state's 3rd congressional district nbc's tracie potts joins us with more the president was up late celebrating. >> reporter: he was. and people who were supporting dan bishop in that congressional district actually got to hear from the president during that victory speech when bishop pulled out his phone, called the white house and put the president on speaker congratulating him president trump also on twitte taking credit for this victory down in north carolina he campaigned for bishop on monday he says after bishop asked him taking credit for what turned out to be a narrow

republican victory in a district that's been republican since 1963 democrats say that alone is a predictor of what the president may face in 2020 but for now dan bishop is headed to washington, he says to support the man who supported him. >> tonight was the first step toward taking back the house of representatives in 2020 to keep this country on a path of prosperity and strength. because under this president america is great again >> the mission to unite our country does not end here tonight. that mission continues and as long as this fight needs fighting, we must keep answering that call. >> that special election after allegations of fraud in that district and in another north carolina district, 3rd district in eastern north carolina, another republican win dr. greg murphy headed to washington there with a much wider margin frances? >> on the road to 2020

tracie potts for us. tracie, thank you. we turn to breaking news out of south dakota. a tornado touched down overnight in sioux falls, leaving a trail of seriously damaged buildings and there are reports of nearly 20,000 power outages these images show the overa hart hospital the person who took these photos says shattered glass was all over the place and the parking lot was covered in downed trees. a new travel advisory has been issued until the debris can be cleared. this dangerous storm had already spawned a series of tornadoes that spread across rural areas of eastern wyoming including this one that is possibly anti-cyclonic meaning it spins clockwise. it's believed only 2% of tornadoes have that rotation president trump is on the hunt for his fourth national security adviser in three years. the president announcing on twitter that he fired john bolton after a string of disagreements. and in a surprising twist, nbc news reports that the president had been reaching out to his former national security adviser h.r. mcmaster for advice as his

relationship with bolton deteriorated nbc's peter alexander has more on this latest white house shake-up >> reporter: president trump dropping the bombshell on twitter, saying about his national security adviser, "i informed john bolton that his services are no longer needed at the white house. i disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions and therefore i asked john for his resignation, which was given to me." the surprise announcement just an hour before this briefing that the white house earlier said bolton would attend secretary of state mike pompeo who repeatedly clashed with bolton insisting he was not blindsided >> was it news to you today? >> i'm never surprised >> we work very closely with the president of the united states i think we have a pretty good understanding of how he's thinking about things. >> reporter: but bolton, seen here outside the west wing, later texting me that he was not fired. "i offered to resign he never asked for it directly or indirectly. i slept on it and resigned." the chaos capping off bolton's tumultuous 17-month tenure >> they should listen to the president.

>> reporter: the president who campaigned on ending wars often joking about having a hawkish national security adviser. >> i actually temper john, which is pretty amazing, isn't it? nobody thought that was going to -- i'm the one that tempers him. but that's okay. >> reporter: still their disagreements have been piling up including the president's visit with kim jong un at the dmz, a meeting bolton opposed the planned strike on iran in retaliation for a downed u.s. drone. bolton lobbied for it. president trump called it off. >> i didn't like it. i didn't think it was -- i didn't think it was proportionate. >> reporter: and just days ago the president and bolton disagreeing over mr. trump's plan to hold afghanistan peace talks with the taliban at camp david. >> it was my idea and it was my idea to terminate it i didn't even -- i didn't discuss it with anybody else >> reporter: president trump now looking for a fourth national security adviser in less than three years. the first he fired, michael flynn, in court for lying to the fbi. now another shake-up at a critical time. >> when the president makes a decision like this, he's well

within his rights to do so >> reporter: all of this happening at a crucial mom with secretary of state mike pompeo telling me he could foresee a meeting between president trump and iran's leader later this month without preconditions. frances? >> we'll have to wait and see. peter, thank you emergency crews in illinois are on the scene of a fiery train derailment it happened right outside of st. louis. officials say more than a dozen cars and a tanker went off the track, causing a huge fire that could be seen for miles. and one of the tanker cars was carrying a dangerous chemical. here's nbc's steve patterson with the latest. >> i've got a huge train derailment in dupo with heavy fire >> reporter: first responders scrambling to contain the spread of flames and smoke in the aftermath of a train-yard wreck. >> folks coming this way right toward me. >> reporter: owner union pacific says the train was being assembled at the company's yard in dupo, illinois when about 18 cars derailed, some catching fire >> we were advised it was

ethanol and methanol tanks >> you guys need to protect those tank cars. >> reporter: no one hurt in the initial crash but crews rushed to stop the spread of a flammable liquid gushing from one chtd tank cars thick black smoke was seen for miles, billowing for hours near high tension power lines and neighborho the response of our first responders was quick >> reporter: about 30 agencies responded to the scene, evacuating three subdivisions and a nearby school. crews doused the area with water and chemical suppressant, eventually getting the fire under control. steve patterson, nbc news. more health officials are sounding the alarm about the dangers of vaping. there have now been at least six deaths linked to the use of e cigarettes and a growing number of people reporting serious symptoms nbc's anne thompson has this report >> reporter: new urgency in the nation's vaping emergency. the sixth death linked to vaping

is a kansas woman who officials say died a week after using e-cigarettes for the first time. over 50 and with underlying health problems, her lungs filled with fluid. and the american lung association saying bluntly done use e-cigarettes, warning they are not safe and can cause irreversible lung damage and disease. 21-year-old elijah mcclure went from feeling sick to dependent on a feeding tube and respirator in a matter of days. >> i haven't heard my son's voice in well over a week. >> reporter: cedric and tammy mcclure say their son, a former minnesota high school athlete, started vaping at 15 >> this is what you i found. >> reporter: as more states investigate vaping-related lung injuries, officials in houston confirmed three cases, all teenagers. >> it is not an infection. it does not respond to antibiotics. and it is very severe. >> reporter: a new american heart association study finds flavors drive vaping usage among

18 to 24-year-olds, especially for those who never smoked traditional cigarettes >> you know, these companies have done real harm to a generation of children and they did that knowing that nicotine was an addictive drug it's appalling >> reporter: the vaping industry is pushing back, insisting this is a crisis linked not to their products but to illegal thc oils, the active ingredient in marijuana. the food and drug administration has regulatory authority here in this situation, and i spoke to an official monday afternoon from the fda, and that official tells me that this investigation is a top priority for the agency but it has yet to zero in on the specific product or substance that's causing all these illnesses and deaths the official says the agency needs more information before it can take any additional action

frances? >> all right anne thompson for us thank you. as the nation prepares to mark the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks today, the tribute lights shined bright in lower manhattan, honoring the legacy of those lives lost in the deadliest u.s. terrorist attack to date. and within the fire department there's a very special legacy, the children of firefighters who lost their lives are now training as recruits our very own lester holt spoke with one mother. >> reporter: carl asaro's life was dedicated to family and community. i'm curious, what was it like for the kids to grow up having a dad who was a firefighter? wherever my his bad thusband wad wanted to be together. >> they were proud of their dad. >> very proud. >> reporter: a veteran new york city firefighter asaro died on that crisp september day answering the call of duty his wife heloisa says that day changed her family forever

we're sitting about 50 or 60 feet from what was the north tower. what have you learned about where your husband was at that moment it came down? >> what i learned is that he was near the tower >> did they ever find your husband's remains? >> no. nothing yet. >> reporter: now her children are honoring their father's legacy >> did the kids from an early age talk about wanting to become firefighters >> little carl was the most. he wanted to be just like daddy. >> reporter: a father of six, carl's 25-year-old son mark and 27-year-old daughter rebecca are set to graduate in the latest fdny class in two weeks. and sons matthew and carl are already on the job >> you're sovls very proobviousd of them. >> i am. my husband didn't die. my kids became a firefighter >> ladder 21, ladder 19, engine 58, ladder 34, all firefighters. how can you not be afraid for

your children? >> me not showing that i am afraid for them. they can do a better job they can really be strong. >> this current class of fdny recruits is the largest legacy class since 9/11 let's get a check of our weather now with nbc meteorologist bill karins. we have pop-up tornadoes, about a dozen of them? >> we had about 12, a mini tornado outbreak, a lot of them wyoming and of course the two overnight in 1ded is the sioux falls area still under a flash flood warning on top of that tornado that hit a couple hours ago. those storms are still rolling, some areas could still get wind damage, southern minnesota and especially northern portions of iowa late this afternoon we'll have additional strong storms too especially in areas of western nebraska and areas along the minnesota and iowa border. back into areas ofs even west va

could get into the mid 90s today. yeah, this heat a little exceptional. we'll tell you just how record-breaking it could be today. >> it feels weird. >> sure does thank you. in today's news by the numbers, boston is giving every public school kindergartner $50 in a special account to encourage saving for college or career training. the money becomes available after high school graduation and must be used for further education. target says it plans to hire more than 130,000 seasonal workers for the holiday season all workers will be paid a minimum of 13 bucks an hour. >> recovery efforts in the bahamas are getting a major boost thanks to nba legend michael jordan li es donating $1 million to the reefffort. keep it right here on "early today.

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airport building authorities say it's a miracle the two on board and the third on the ground all survived we get more from nbc's miguel almagu almaguer >> reporter: this was the jaw-dropping scene discovered by first responders a small plane wedged nose down into an airport building the two people aboard, the pilot and a student, somehow made it out alive. it happened just after takeoff in maricopa, arizona investigators say it's unclear why the plane suddenly plummeted from the sky and sliced into the ocgen regional airport >> i was the only one in the building just worried about the individuals on the aircraft. >> reporter: according to authorities the two survivors were transport tied local hospital the air coupe 415c was first manufactured during world war ii, designed to be one of the safest airplanes of its time investigators want to know how the plane ended up like this miguel almaguer, nbc news. just ahead, monopoly breaks

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there's a new version of monopoly out called ms. monopoly where women get paid more than men. [ cheers and applause there's the boss right there yeah the monopoly guy got the boot. so between him and john bolton it's been a rough day for old

guys with mustaches. >> not a bad joke. all right. so death do us part. six flags is putting those vows to the test. as a part of their halloween frightfest the amusement park's maryland location is hosting a 30-hour couples coffin challenge. the rule is pretty simple here pairs must spend 30 consecutive hours together in a coffin with limited bathroom breaks and no cell phones allowed. and if you can stand each other for that long, you just might win 600 bucks and season passes. so if you're interested you can go online to enter the registration is open now >> nothing more romantic than that hey. if that's your thing >> i figure that's pretty much what marriage is you just have cell phones. >> pretty much and you can sit up still to come, alyssa milano and senator ted cruz meet face to face. > ntve>>cororsy after a high school swimmer is disqualified over her swimsuit. you're watching "early today." lg you're getting the best price.

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leading the news, president donald trump and taylor swift share a new common enemy meet 26-year-old rich mccuen on august 30th he was arrested for allegedly breaking into swift's home in rhode island and he was found inside without shoes on saying that he took them off to be polite. well, 11 days later mccuen was arrested again this time for allegedly doing donuts in his car on trump national government course in bedminster, new jersey police estimate he caused around $20,000 worth of damage. controversy at a high school swim meet north of anchorage, alaska a 17-year-old female swimmer was disqualified after winning big all because the referee said her

bathing suit was too revealing after riding up too far. the district plans to appeal, saying the suit was approved and issued by the school and she had worn it at previous competitions with no issues the referee's call is under review after causing so much outrage in the community a twitter spat over gun control turned into a face-to-face meeting between actress alyssa milano and republican senator ted cruz. >> i think you can be an instrumental part of this solution for this country. >> the two met on capitol hill along with ben jackson, co-founder of an anti-nra organization and fred guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the parkland school shooting this meetup was live-streamed on facebook both milano and guttenberg pressed the texas senator to please do something. after the meeting milano tweeted in part, "he was gracious. i am unsure if it changes anything but appreciative for the opportunity. those are two people you would

never see in the same room kind of opposites in every way >> stepping up in the political front. now the video of two young friends that is touching so many with its simple but powerful message. here's nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: precious 2-year-old new yorkers maxwell and finnegan racing for the giant hug acting like they hadn't seen each other for years but it's actually only been two days >> my friend, you are just adorable >> reporter: it's the kind of image that pulls you in and glues you to the screen. when maxwell's dad posted the video on facebook, it went viral. these two just melt my heart we need more of this unconditional love to them color doesn't matter friendship is all about the other stuff they share dancing. riding scooters. and childhood. if we paid more attention to the wonder of children, just imagine what we could learn.

rehema ellis, nbc news, new york >> you know, as soon as i saw it yesterday, i sent it to you. i'm like how amazing is this >> when we all grow up as adults, we need to be like that. >> we could on hope.ly

good wednesday morning, september 11th. taking a live look at ground zero in new york city. this is where it all happened 18 years ago, the twin towers fell as two planes hit the building, crashing into them during a terror attack. today many people will remember those lives lost, nearly 3,000. we will continue to remember those this morning throughout "today in the bay." we want to thank you for joining us this morning. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia. let's get a look at that forecast for today, another nice one? >> it will be a little bit warmer, but still nice. i think we can handle this. here is a live look outside in san jos