are you concerned what the second whistle-blower may reveal about -- >> not at all. it's a scam by the democrats to try and win an election that they're not going to win in 2020 >> president trump shrugging off increased pressure as the impeachment inquiry reaches a new level with a closed door deposion later today plus new subpoenas directed at the secretary of defense and budget chief >> this morning, new fallout over the president's surprise withdrawal of u.s. troops from northern syria the backlash even from mitch mcconnell was swift. could this be the start of an isis comeback? >> chilling new details surrounding the man investigators believe killed more people than serial killer ted bundy, john wayne gasy and

jeffrey dahmer combined. >> a very personal message from jeopardy's alex trebek about the new challenges he's facing in his battle against cancer. >> plus, agus nato caught on camera sends residents fleeing for safety a busy tuesday ahead "early today" starts right now >> good to be with you this morning. i'm frances rivera >> and i'm phillip mena. a pivotal figure in the ukraine scandal will face congress today as part of the impeachment inquiry into president trump ambassador to the european union gordon sunlandt l position befo house committees meanwhile, president trump is railing against democrats after the emergence of a second whistle-blower nbc's tracie potts is in d.c. with the latest. and, tracie, on top of all of this, the house has also issued another round of subpoenas >> reporter: right, phillip. they want more evidence from th, from the secretary of defense about whether or not there was an attempt to withhold aid from ukraine in exchange for

investigating joe biden. now, sunland, who you just saw, is set to talk to lawmakers today. they want answers about a series of text messages, including exchanges between sunland and another diplomat who was skeptical of this idea of withholding aid. in fact, in those text messages, you can see where sunland is defending the president saying that there was no quid pro quo of any kind. also suggesting that they stop the back and forth texting meantime, lawmakers are still trying to figure out when or if they will hear from the first whistle-blower as news of a second emerges and president trump says neither the first nor the second whistle-blower really should be heard or have anything to add to this conversation. >> are you concerned what the second whistle-blower may reveal about -- >> not at all, because the call was a perfect call you had stenographers, you had people that took it down

exactly. it was a perfect call.scam this is a scam by the democrats to try and win an election that they're not going to win in 2020 >> reporter: this morning "the washington post" is reporting that congress is considering extreme measures to get that original whistle-blower in, including a disguise and taking their testimony at a secret location phillip? >> the screws are tightening over there in washington tracie, thank you. >> in the midst of a heavy impeachment campaign, president trump facing a torrent of backlash from his own party. after announcing plans to pull u.s. forces out of northern syria, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell issued a statement saying the withdrawal would increase the risk of isis and other terrorist groups to a growing chorus of critics. >> the president of the united states is in danger of losing the mandate of heaven if h

it puts gains against isis at >> reporter: with critics saying risk and leaves u.s. allies, the kurds open to attack, president trump is defending his plan to pull u.s. troops out of northern syria. >> we only have 50 people until that area. that's a small sector. and i don't want those 50 people hurt or killed >> reporter: the president tweeting it's time for us to get out of these ridiculous endless wars but the kurds are blasting it as a betrayal, warning they could face ethnic cleansing, even genocide by turkey, which is preparing to launch an attack against them the kurds fought shoulder to shoulder with u.s. special operations forces for four years against isis we joined them extensively on the front lines and saw how much elite u.s. military units relied on them to fight the terror group. >> they led it and they paid for it in blood. >>oro be >> indicated, formidable >> reporter: the president's plan is being slammed by many of his allies, calling it

catastrophic and a grave mistake. republican senator lindsey graham saying it's a stain on america's honor. >> the decision was made apparently with no consultation or deliberation with military experts and advisors and that's how presidents get themselves into trouble >> reporter: after the backlash, the president tweeting, if turkey does anything that i, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider off limits, i will totally obliterate and destroy the economy of turkey. but there are now also fears about these detention camps, holding tens of thousands of isis fighters and their families the kurds say they now have to focus on defending themselves, not securing the camps this all started after a the white house issued a statement strongly suggesting that u.s. forces in syria wo a e against the kurds. official walked that back, trying it seems to either contain the damage or change the

story and say that the turks were not given a green light frances? >> all right, richard, thank you. >> the nba is doing damage control this morning after a single tweet soiled the relationship between china and the league several chinese businesses are suspending ties with the houston rockets and chinese television outlets are no longer airing the team's games after their general manager publicly expressed support for anti-government protests in hong kong. a move which infuriated china. here's nbc's jeff bennett. >> reporter: china no longer playing ball with the houston rockets following an uproar over this now deleted tweet from the team's general manager darrell morey supporting protests that have both angered and embarrassed china's communist government skg business estimate the 800 million watched nba programming last season in china where the rockets are one of the most popular teams thank to

china's own yao ming several chinese businesses cut ties with the rockets. and despite its eshd reputation with social consciousness, the nba distanced itself with a statement calling the situation regrettable. a swift backlash leading to a quick walk back. >> you know, we love china, we love playing there >> reporter: and for morey himself, i did not intend my tweet to cause any offense the nba commissioner reinforcing the league's support for freedom of expression. but adding that economic impact is already clear republican and democratic lawmakers crying foul. t ont's unamerican tg people behalf of freedom. >> reporter: some republicans quick to condemn the nba while staying silent about president trump's latest overture to the communist regime the nba caught between two cultures as it tries to protect its bottom line. jeff bennett, nbc news, washington >> the judge in the amber geyger

trial is defending her decision to hug the former dallas police officer who was convicted of murdering her unarmed neighbor in an interview that will air on the today show later this morning, judge tammy kemp says it is her responsibility to show love and compassion. >> i was looking at her and then my memory said, your job is to do justice, to love mercy, and walk humbly. so how can you not hug this lady >> meanwhile, the you aurgent mt continues for the murder of a key witness in the trial here's morgan chesky >> reporter: dallas p.d. trying to solve the mystery of who killed joshua brown. >> someone has heard gunshots. >> reporter: the scene six miles from the complex where brown lived last year when he heard the fatal gunshots fired by amber geyger killing botham jean

by the time police arrived here at the complex, officers found brown outside one of the buildings shot multiple times but alive. only clue who pulled a trigger, the silver four-door sedan seen speeding from the scene. brown died in the nearby hospital but days before his family attorney said he expressed fears the high-profile trial made him a target his testimony expected in an upcoming civil suit filed by jean's family against the city of dallas. >> how pivotal a role would joshua played in that suit >> joshua would have been one of the first witnesses we called. >> reporter: he represents the family and now the browns call for an independent investigation. >> the trial ended and three days later a star witness was dead >> reporter: dallas police say there are no suspects but they remain commit today solving the case morgan chesky, nbc news, dallas. >> the playoff baseball now, and the yankees cruising to the alcs with a three-game sweep against the twins in minneapolis torres got things started off in

the second inning with a big solo home run. the twins would get on the board in the 8th, but that was it. the yankees win it 5-1 down in tampa, the rays trying to fend off the astros to keep their playoff dreams alive. kevin kiermaier hit a three-run blast in the bottom of the second that was pretty much it. tampa bay rolling to a 10-3 win. over to the national league where washington forced a game five against the dodgers, ryan zimmerman smacked a three-run shot and busted the game open in the bottom of the 5th. the naontis alwin it 6-1 thh this walk-of >> residents ind showing a tornado that struck their town if you look closely, this phenomena is a massive funnel of dust it lifted roofs and caused damage to several homes. one witness saw it coming right at him when he was at a gas station and said he's never seen anything like this before. >> all right let's bring in janessa webb now.

is that essentially a dust devil? >> it's just as concerning as a tornado, so glad that guy -- >> run out of there. >> taking a closer look at home here, we're seeing this storm front -- cold front making its way through the cloud coverage for the northeast and the rain currently in place no floods threat is in place for the northeast. but still going to see continuous rain for at least the next two days. from providence to boston, up to 2 to 3 inches.e going to contine that sunshine out and about across the south you can see on the radar, this is what we'll talk about next storm system, this is snow headed to the rockies. >> we keep talking about it. it's more than one day you've been talking about the snow. it's on its way. thank you, janessa

>> all right monday night football, the undefeated 49ers made a statement with a dominating win over the browns. san francisco got to work early. that is matt breida blowing past the defense and taking it all the way to the house, even waving good-bye, 83 yards for the touchdown. possession in the second half, jimmy garoppolo hits george kittle up the middle san francisco dismantling cleveland 31-3 >> still ahead, e-scooters wreak havoc at oktoberfest and inside havoc at oktoberfest and inside the nfsis coesonof a killer mor, do you? uhh, no! first kid. here's all the numbers, food's in the fridge, oh and lucas likes to pull on jewelry so you might want to lose the no r by their second kid, par for outstanding leakage protection. live, learn, and get luvs. but one blows them all out of the water. hydro boost with hyaluronic acid to plump skin cells

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deficit was $984 billion that's up from 665 billion in 2017 and as msnbc's stephanie ruhle says, it was one of the president's campaign promise s to wipe out the deficit. in 2012 then private citizen donald trump said no president should be eligible for reelection if the country's budget is not balanced deficits not allowed >> the fbi is asking for the public's help to connect two murder cases calling it the worst serial case. his video confessions are chilling nbc's tom costello has more. >> reporter: he's 79 years old now, but the fbi calls samuel little america's most prolific serial killer, having confessed to 93 murders that occurred between 1970 and 2005. investigators believe he's telling the truth and satch his

later. in interviews recalling minute haunting details of each victim and murder scene now the fbi is asking for help in identifying his carolyn short cream and red. >> reporter: new orleans 1982. >> she was like partial conceal. >> reporter: little rock arkansas in the early '90s >> tell me what that girl looked like >> oh, man, i loved her. i forget her name -- oh, wait. i think it was ruth. >> reporter: his victims often prostitutes and drug users were spread across the country, from california to maryland, arizona to south carolina. dna evidence linked little to several cold cases he's now serving three life sentences. >> he suggests his motive is just killing

to kill and unfortunately that he was very good at finding potential victims. >> reporter: here at fbis killed more people in his career than serial killers ted bundy, john combined >> even more chilling than we first thought. tom, thank you >> just ahead, the hot new face joining nbc's block buster show, "the voice". and readers tt hbeerave some money. rihanna with a book with a ridiculous price tag cosentyx can help people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis find clear skin that can last. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. how sexy are these elbows? ask your dermatologist about cosentyx.

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i will be joining as one of the new coaches of "the voice.

[ cheers and applause >> these are the first people i'm told thank you for being part of the special moment for me. [ cheers and applause >> more like the second people he's told. there you go it's official, nick jonas is joining "the voice" this spring. the youngest jonas brother revealing -- appearing on ellen, rather, he will replace gwen stefani as the fourth celebrity coach. nick says he cannot wait to work with fellow texan kelly clarkson who is also blowing up lately. >> seems like their names have been around forever. right now seems like they're on the high, high >> hot again >> from pop star to actress to megamogul, rihanna is securing the bag and she now is adding another title to her resume. author the grammy winner has announced her newest project that's a coffee table book packed with images of her. the self-titled book includes more than a thousand photos in its 500-page compilation there will be four versions starting at a price tag of $150

for a copy -- >> starting? >> yeah. it is set to be released on october 24th can't get enough for fans. >> i like look as rihanna as much as the next person. 150 bucks? >> coffee table book >> get a tattoo of her on the face like the carter kid still ahead, jeopardy host alex trebek gets personal about his struggle with cancer not today. you took our conversation about your chronic coronary artery disease to heart. even with a stent procedure, your condition can get worse over time, and keep you at risk of blood clots. so you added xarelto®, to help keep you protected. xarelto®, when taken with low-dose aspirin, is proven to further reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in people with chronic cad. that's because while aspirin can help, it may not be enough to manage your risk of blood clots. in a clinical trial, almost 96% of people taking xarelto® did not have a cardiovascular event.

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causes lung cancer and bladder cancer in mice it is the first study linking ng >> history was just made in new york city when this megacruise ship arrived it became the largest cruise ship to ever port in manhattan that there is the msc, which is the fourth largest cruise ship in the entire world. it can accommodate 4,500 passengers and more than 1500 crew members and not only does it have a pool look at that zooming in there, that has a full water park there, including slides >> it is amazing when you see it pull up, even more so how many people and fun and everything it can hold >> the skyline, that's how big it is. >> jeopardy host alex trebek is opening up about his battle with cancer trebek has had an upbeat attitude as he continues to work and undergo treatment. but now he's facing harsh realities about the toll chemo is taking. here's nbc's miguel almaguer

>> reporter: for 36 seasons of jeopardy, alex trebek has had the answers. >> virginia. >> reporter: but now as he continues his battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, amid setbacks in his treatment, the television host is offering answers to someone else's questions. >> there are weaknesses that i feel in my body, but i can always suck it up when it comes time to tape the show. >> reporter: trebek says he struggles with carrying the burden of being the face of pancreatic cancer. >> to be the inspiration for a lot of other people maket do pla responsibility on me that i feel i'm not deserving of trebek now wears a wig and has struggled to enunciate his words on the show. >> i will keep doing it as long as my skills do not diminish, and they have started to diminish >> reporter: insightful and reflective, trebek is facing his own mortality. >> i'm not afraid of dying

i'm 79 years old, so i've lived a good life, a full life, and i'm nearing the end of that life >> reporter: the answers aren't always easy to hear, but for alex trebek, the show goes on. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> we him more than ever. i'm frances rivera >> and i am phillip mena coming up on "today" jimmy coming up on "today" jimmy fallon is live to talk aut hbois what's this? cindy, that cold's gonna keep you up all night. and tomorrow, you're gonna be a zombie!

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it's been really hot lately. that's a live look in san jose. as we get ready to step out the door in concord we have some mid-50s that will lead into mid-70s by early afternoon. it will be a warm day but we are bringing it down from the really hot weather we had yesterday. we're in the mid0s