or have severe kidney problems. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. lower a1c and lower risk of a fatal heart attack? on it with jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. president biden is back at the white house, this morning, following a whirlwind european trip, culminating in a major meeting with russia's vladimir putin. what they accomplished, and where did they fall short? zwl the house overwhelmingly passes a bill to make juneteenth a federal holiday. now, for the president to sign the legislation into law before june 19th. >> new lone star state laws will allow texans to carry handguns wo without a permit starting september 1st. our jake ward takes a look

at infrastructure to help build the broadband divide and if you are looking for an adrenaline rush to kick off this thursday, look no further than these wing suit dare devils soaring over lebanon let's get to it. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning, i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. optimism is in the air for the future of america's relationship with russia. on wednesday, president joe biden and russian president, vladimir putin, held their high-stakes one-on-one meeting in switzerland a host of thorny topics were discussed including cyberattacks, human-rights abuses, and election meddling. both world leaders described the tone of the summit as positive and constructive adding that there a glimpse of hope that the two countries can repair their fractured relationship nbc's lester holt has more on the historic meeting >> reporter: president biden and russian president putin, face to face their highly-anticipated summit, shorter than expected. afterwards, president biden insisting he achieved his goals

at the summit he asked for. >> i did what i came to do the tone of the entire meeting was good, positive it wasn't any -- any strident actiontaken. >> reporter: each moment, carefully, choreographed president putin arriving, first, at the swiss villa followed by president biden. pausing in his armored limousine, before getting out. then, mr. biden reaching out for a handshake. the two presidents never meeting alone. secretary of state blinken and the russian-foreign minister there, too i hope that our meeting will be productive, putin says >> thank you i said, outside, i think it's always better to meet face to face >> reporter: chaotic moments, as russian media and russian security pushed and shoved the american press both leaders, looking on president biden had said he would confront the russian leader on issues, like election

interference, putin's crackdown on critics, and recent-ransomware attacks on america's food and gas supply. that the u.s. blames on russian hackers. in an unusual move, president biden not holding a joint-press conference with putin afterwards instead, in dueling appearances, both sides offering sometimes-differing views of how it went. on cyberattacks, president biden saying he gave putin a list of critical infrastructure, that he wants off limits along with his sharp message. >> i pointed out to him, we have significant cybercapability. and if, in fact, they violate these basic norms, we will respond. >> reporter: but no mention of that from putin, who deflected any responsibility blaming the u.s. >> translator: the majority of cyberattacks are made from the u.s. territory >> reporter: both sides saying they would talk further on the

matter on jailed-putin critic, alexei navalny, president biden saying he gave this warning, if navalny died in custody. >> i made it clear, to him, that i believe the -- the consequences of that would be devastating for russia >> reporter: but when putin was asked about navalny, he never mentioned his name even comparing russia's democracy activists to rioters at the u.s. capitol. >> translator: people went into u.s. congress, with political demands. they are called homegrown terrorists. >> that's a ridiculous comparison >> reporter: putin saying he felt no pressure describing their conversation, in personal terms. >> translator: i can say that he's a constructive person, well balanced, and experienced. he recalled his family, and conversations he had with his mother it is, all, appealing. >> reporter: president biden, suggesting russia is eager to lower tensions. >> i don't think he'

>> reporter: while the two leaders agreed to return ambassadors, and to start talks on arms control, no movement on other, thornier issues. >> he denied any involvement in cyberattacks he downplayed human-rights abuses he even refused to say alexei navalny's name so, how does that account to a constructive meeting, as president -- president putin -- >> you don't understand that, you're in the wrong business >> reporter: later, president biden apologized for that answer and was asked, again, about what was gained here? >> if you were in my position, would you say, well, i don't think anything's going to happen it's going to be really rough. i think it's going to really be bad. there's value to being realistic and put on an optimistic front, an optimistic face. >> our thanks to lester holt for that report. last night, the house overwhelmingly passed a bill, that would make june 19th a federal holiday after it was unanimously approved by the senate it's known as juneteenth the day commemorating the end of slavery. president biden is expected to

sign the bill, establishing the holiday as juneteenth national independence day all right. let's turn now to the latest in the fight against covid-19 more than 175 million americans have gotten the shot that means over half of the u.s. population is at least partially vaccinated against the virus but there are growing concerns about the spread of the delta variant. for more, we are joined now by nbc's blayne alexander blayne, good morning >> reporter: well, phillip, good morning to you across the country now, we are seeing state after state loosen restrictions people coming back to pre-pandemic activities. sporting events. but at the same time, we are seeing a warning from the cdc about a new, more transmissible variant. experts predict the delta variant, first discovered in india, could soon become the dominant-covid strain in the u.s. >> it is more transmissible. and possibly, more dangerous in terms of causing severe disease. >> reporter: all of it, only accelerating the rush to get americans vaccinated but the biden administration is

running out of time to hit its july-4th goal. 70% of americans, with at least one shot so far, only about 53% of the country is partially vaccinated. but some states are barely hitting a third of their population the lowest rate in southern states, like georgia, alabama, louisiana, and mississippi where only 28% of the state is fully vaccinated a new poll gives some insight into why the rates are lagging 37% of those asked point to vaccine hesitancy. but nearly double that number, say they faced barriers in trying to get the shot and even as scenes, like these, are becoming more familiar, dodgers' stadium hosting the largest-sports crowd since the start of the pandemic. still, some setbacks, with a royal caribbean cruise ship forced to postpone setting sail after eight crew members tested positive for covid. >> on one hand, we are seeing a number of states loosening restrictions but on the other hand, we are hearing this dire warning about the delta variant. is this a confusing message?

>> well, blayne, i think what you're hearing is really a message for two different populations. which is, that if you are vaccinated, you are still in good shape but if you are unvaccinated, there's still reasons to be cautious to still wear a mask to still avoid indoor gatherings >> reporter: and tomorrow, vice president harris will travel to atlanta. it's part of the administration's focus on boosting vaccinations in the south. phillip. >> all right, blaynie, thanks. texas will no longer require a permit or training to carry handguns in public the state's republican governor, greg abbott, signed the permitless-carry bill into law wednesday. the legislation allows anyone 21 years old and older who legally possesses a firearm in the state to carry a handgun, in public, without a permit that is set to take effect in september. the bill, also, allows those previously convicted of unlawfully carrying a handgun in a public place to have the conviction expunged from their record violent crimes, across the nation, are up and sadly, so is the number of

police officers who have died in the line of duty according to fbi director christopher wray, 37 officers have been murdered in the first-five months of 2021. that's compared with 46, during all of 2020. wray revealed those stats to the house oversight committee, earlier this week. according to the national law enforcement officers memorial fund, 148 police officers have died of all causes so far in 2021 that is up from 134, this time last year. >> dangerous heat continues to surge throughout the western u.s. now, raising wildfire and electrical-grid concerns excessive heat warnings are in place for several states and more than 40 million americans could see temperatures hit triple digits this week. some places, like las vegas and phoenix saw 115-degree days. along with the surging daytime temperatures, nighttime heat is expected to linger through the week texas and california have asked residents to limit electricity use, this week, in order to avoid blackouts. there were over 60 record

highs just yesterday so, how is today shaping up? let's bring in nbc meteorologist. janessa webb joins us now. hey, janessa, good morning >> hi. good morning you know, i wished things would change but we have a change in our forecast this is going to extend into next week, unfortunately we are seeing high pressure. it's taking over and now, it's going into the central tier into the midwest. sections of the state. and so, now, we're going to continue to watch over 200 million people across the u.s., really, deal with record highs going into the weekend daytime highs. they will continue to roar, across california, all the way into the desert southwest. look at yuma, today, 118 degrees. so, this heat is not backing off. the feel-like temperature, in most spots, in the triple-digit territory. humidity is very low, along with the winds, now, starting to pick up the fire danger will increase, across the high plains, intohe t

starting to really feel that heat. back in the upper 90s. tracking the tropics it looks like we are going to see flooding rain across louisiana. we will talk about that coming up. >> okay, janessa, thank you. the future of the nba might be in the hands of the youngest ball brother hornets guard was name the league's rookie of the year. the third-overall pick in last year's draft averaged nearly 16 points and six assists per game. he led charlotte to the play-in game, the play-in tournament as well when "early today" returns, the major steps towards honoring the lives lost in the pulse nightclub shooting, three years ago. plus, soccer superstar, cristiano ronaldo's choice of

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the site of former gay nightclub pulse is soon to become a national memorial house speaker nancy pelosi signed a bill wednesday to create the national pulse memorial in orlando, florida the move comes, just days after the five-year mark of one of the worst-mass shootings in american history. speaker pelosi celebrated the bipartisan effort. but also, called on congress to create stricter-gun laws. >> it's really important for the survivors to know, we are not going away, until the job is done >> the bill passed the senate last week, and is expected to be signed by president biden, soon. washington, d.c. inmate has made history in the nation's capital. on tuesday, 44-year-old joe caston became the first-incarcerated person in the city to win elected office

he has been serving time since he was 18 after committing a felony offense and he won the race for advisory neighborhood commissioner in southeast d.c. he will oversee the harriet tubman women's shelter new luxury apartments and d.c. jail, where he is incarcerated the biden administration is forgiving half a million dollars in student-loan debt the department of education says it is erasing the debt for about 18,000 borrowers who attended itt tech the for-profit college chain made exaggerated claims about its graduates' success, in f finding jobs it closed in 2016 after facing sanctions from the obama administration education secretary, miguel cardona, vowed to keep standing up for students who were deceived. now, to a massive-global reaction over a couple of soda bottles just being moved from one place to another soccer great, cristiano ronaldo moved a couple of bottles of coca-cola right there. moved them to the side as he said agua and he gestured to his water bottle during that press conference at the european championships. this came on a dayion in market.

head massive spill. largely unfounded as the company's stock price had begun to dip even before he did this and the stock inched up,hole lo coincidence. but says a lot, you know, when you have the sponsor and you are just like, no. i'm good go for my water. >> that guy, he is a global phenomenon all right. plents more ahead here, including the dare devils soaring over lebanon in death-defying wing suits at incredible spes lf. edz plus our in-depth series on america's most vulnerable areas. stay with us ♪ this is a cold call! ♪ hello, my name is ice t. can you spare a few seconds to learn about cold water washing with tide? hi my name is steve. did you know washing in cold can save you $100 a year on your energy bill. why wouldn't you turn to cold? it helps the environment. what? because stone cold said so.

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streaming tonight on nbc news now at 8:00 p.m. eastern. nbc's joe fryer hosts trans-america, a one-hour special examining issues facing the transgender community. now, to our series, "america the vulnerable" and the di country's digital divide the biden administration says broadband should be treated as essential infrastructure to help bridge that gap. but as jake ward reports, some states have roadblocks >> reporter: high school teacher, michelle galloway, spent months struggling to connect with students from her north carolina farmhouse during the pandemic. >> sometimes, i would cry, after a class. >> at times, the slow internet made it nearly impossible to communicate. >> i had one student to hold up a sign saying, ms. galloway, ask that question, again

so i wrote it out, and held it up >> reporter: high-speed broadband internet needed for vide get in rural america. because companies make less money connecting remote communities, than they do cities but wilson, north carolina, is an exception you wouldn't think that a place, like this, has world-class broadband speeds but the truth is it does but in order to, actually, connect all of these houses, crews have to install fiber-optic cable, like these. after a large-cable company refused to partner with wilson, the city spent $32 million to create its own-broadband network. making high-speed internet a public utility here. available to anyone in the county, like gas or electricity. >> we didn't just cherry pick the most-profitable or potentially profitable regions >> reporter: only two cities in north carolina are allowed to provide internet, this way because state law, backed by the telecom industry, now

essentially forbids internet as a public utility on the grounds of fair competition. 18 other states have similar laws but just 30 miles north of wilson, rocky mounts' mayor says the law is holding his town back. >> we have got to have the technology to enable our resident population to live here >> reporter: residents here say the internet offered by private companies is so slow, many go to the library for a reliable connection >> i have to do online applications when i have to apply for jobs or look for rental assistance >> reporter: michelle galloway is now connected to wilson's high-speed network and says the issue of access could be a learning opportunity for her students. >> it would be a wonderful-group project. why do 18 states take this perspective on the expansion of broadband internet >> reporter: jake ward, nbc news, wilson, north carolina which actor made the top of people magazine's list of

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hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. duane the rock johnson has yet another reason to celebrate, this morning just a few weeks before america observes independence day, people magazine has revealed its 100 reasons to love america list and the rock has claimed the number-one spot. a picture of him on the cover of people magazine. i realized the things that matter most in life are the things that are right in front of us. meanwhile, the magazine's list revealed covid-19 vaccines, country icon dolly parton, the country's ability to pivot

and the fourth of july rounded out the top reasons, top-five reasons, to love america the 121st u.s. open will begin, this morning, on the south course at torrey pines it's the third major of the season, and after recently winning the pga championship, can phil mickelson claim his first-u.s. open title? dan hicks from nbc sports have a preview. >> reporter: welcome back to torrey pines and the scenic cliffs of this gorgeous golf course in the 121st united states open championship dan hicks with paul azinger. the last time this championship was staged here, zing, 13 years ago, where we saw one of the most memorable putts in u.s. open history. >> yeah. it was the most distinctive putt probably in u.s. open history, as you say. >> unfortunately, tiger not here for this championship. but so many story lines. let's start with jordan speath who got his game back.

>> winner, already, this year. and he is very confident, coming in he cannot be overlooked. >> then, there is the defending champion, bryson dechambeau. >> he is given everybody permission to bombs away. >> maybe, the biggest headline this week, coming in phil mickelson, who turns 51 years old, this championship week, can he have some more magic like we saw in the pga >> he could. an incredible story, and i have always said confidence in an earned commodity and mickelson's coming in with the most. >> golf course is ready. the fans are ready for another u.s. open at torrey pines. we will have the coverage for you on nbc in prime time >> big weekend well, i'll be watching dan, paul, thank you so much it wasn't a bird or a plane above lebanon's highest peak three of the world's top-wing suit flyers soared over the mt. -- lebanon mountain range in a first -of-its-kind flight. and then, to the country's world heritage sites

the group often passed really close to the ground on their way down it's always so fascinating to see from our vantage point can you imagine theirs, too? i mean, this is the closest we will get to it with that camera. >> i mean, looks like they are floating on a blow-up mattress it's crazy amazing, though. thanks for watching "early today. i'm frans rivera. >> acend in this ad pay attention to the actor's gums. gums? we don't think about them. but like skin, over time gums can get damaged. new colgate gum renewal.

♪♪ reynolds wrap makes it easy to cook and clean up meals in no time. ♪♪ so i don't miss all the fun stuff. easy prep, cook and clean with reynolds wrap. right now at 4:30, get ready for the heatup, bay area. temperatures soaring today in what's expected to be the hottest day so far this year. the places expected to break records. and as the bay area thermostat heats up we are being asked and the steps to take and why it may be one round of many to come. "today in the bay" continues right now. good morning. thank you for joining us. i'm cierra johnson in for laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. an