breaking overnight, two e oe gunned down whil responding to a local hotel. from coast to coast, millions of americans are dealing with record heat, floong, wildfires, high winds, hail, whatever else mother nature can throw our way details ahead. all eyes on the economy. the fed is set to raise interest rates with the hopes of cooling inflation, but rates have soared past 6%. steve sedgwick on what to watch

for today. delayed again. wnba superstar brittney griner's russian detention has extended into july little hope on a swift return home. meet the hero cop who stopped a drunk driver from barrelling into a bridge full of runners. "early today" starts right now. good wednesday morning i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. east of los angeles a long procession of police cars lining city roadways in a show of respect for two police officers shot and killed in the line of duty earlier the mayor of elmont praised the officers whose names have not yet been released to the public. >> they were acting as a first line of defense for our community members when they were essentially ambushed while trying to keep someone safe. these two officers were like family in our community with deep ties to our neighborhood. they were responding to a

domestic call in a hotel room. the suspect was also killed. extreme weather towns grip the country from coast to coast. wildfires, historic flooding and a massive heat wave is bringing some dangerous conditions to hundreds of millions of americans while others across the country brace for more on the way. nbc's gadi schwartz has more >> reporter: weather extremes as destructive as they are contradictory. in the west, fires, historic flooding and extreme drought all at the same time the latest episode of devastation, yellowstone national park. an icon of mother nature parks under water with unprecedented flash flooding just as the busy summer tourist season begins. onlookers watching helplessly as the two story home was swallowed by the yellowstone river the levels so high, the current so strong. this bridge was also swept away

by raging waters 1,000 mile long atmospheric river pounded washington, wyoming and roads are completely impassible. >> there's about two feet covering the entire street in front of our house, just rolling as fast as the river is. >> reporter: cnbc's valley castro is in livingston, montana. >> reporter: as you can see, many homes are flooded the local hospital remains under several feet of water and the winds are another force to deal with as the cleanup process begins. >> reporter: the rain did little for fires threatening communities in california. it's made even more dangerous by the megadrought across the west. record-breaking temperatures across the country several cities the heat index was topping 100 degrees. meanwhile, other parts of the country are bracing for severe storms that tore through the midwest.

>> the whole roof fell down. >> reporter: at chicago's o'hare, travelers were told to seek shelter. >> they moved us all away from the windows. >> reporter: as near hurricane forced winds toppled trees and ripped apart homes those triple digit temperatures expected to continue for much of the week for millions of americans promising an ominous start for what could be a summer of extremes. >> our thanks to gadi for the report. the dangerous heat is hitting historic highs the state's power grid is being put to the test. nbc's morgan chesky has more. >> reporter: mid june in texas and dangerous heat already turning historic austin topping 100 degrees for eight straight days. dallas hitting 103 saturday tieing a high from 1911. sweltering temps forcing skyrocketing demands his supplier admitted record

breaking heat. every source of power that the state of texas has has been compromised. >> reporter: the texas freeze of 2021 left millions in the dark and cold when the state power grid couldn't keep up. ercot said it's now performing as needed adding sunday's demand set a new all-time peak. >> it's a very delicate balance to strike here. >> reporter: michelle richmond says extreme weather like heat waves starting earlier in the year shortens vital maintenance windows known as shoulder seasons. >> we need to be able to take our maintenance outages in order to make sure we can run when texans need us. >> reporter: it's a problem they

witnessed in may the very next day the plant went offline due to equipment damage. it's not power lines but a busted water pipe creating a scary situation in odessa, texas. this busted main could leave the city without water up to 48 hours right in a heat streak bringing triple digit temperatures every single day. morgan chesky, nbc news, dallas. can the fed tame record inflation without sparking a recession? that's the question and we're all going to find out in the coming weeks with the federal reserve poised to announce the biggest interest rate hike in years. we'll all feel the pinch in the pump, at the grocery store and on rents bri jackson is in washington experts say we are on the verge of a recession president biden is doing what he can to calm those fears. >> reporter: most americans are showing they disapprove of the

president's handling of the economy, the president pointed to his successes, like nearly 9 million jobs added in 16 months, but as for why the white house has not done more to lower prices, he republicans.ytng they can to stop my plans to bring down the cost for ordinary families that's why my plan is not finished and why the results aren't finished either jobs are back. prices are style high. covid is down. gas price red wings up >> reporter: the president also blamed vladimir putin's war in ukraine for record gas prices. drivers in 21 states plus d.c. now paying more than $5 a gallon for gas. meanwhile, fed chair jay powell is expected to hike interest rates by 3/4 of a point.

the move is meant to stifle inflation but means americans will pay more for credit cards, car loans and mortgages. a $400,000 mortgage cost $1745 a month. it's now $589 more that would climb even higher after today's decision phillip? >> that is enough to price a lot of families out of the home market brie, thank you. today could be the day the supreme court overturns roe versus wade. abortions are on the rise in the united states for the first time in three decades according to a gutmacher institute it is on the rise. florida's new 15-week abortion ban set to go into effect july 1st. the synagogue is arguing it denies religious freedom.

>> while we wait for the decision, the bill first passed the senate after protestors gathered outside the homes of conservative justices. there's a renewed urgency to pass it. today more than 500 civilians have taken shelter in a chemical plant in the eastern city of ukraine. today russia is expected to open a humanitarian corridor to allow the evacuations after they have destroyed all three bridges leading out of the city. for more we turn live to london. >> reporter: president zelenskyy calling for weapons. speaking of the heavy losses they're suffering there currently in the chemical plant that's been under heavy

bombardment. it's the scene and the focal point of that fight in donbas. and in addition to ukrainian troops, it's also believed there are hundreds of civilians sheltering in that plant this is reminiscent of scenes from the steel plant that russians sieged before the troops finally surrendered now russia has destroyed those three bridges in and out of the city all the major bridges but they do not control the city completely however, they have said that if the ukrainians were to surrender and lay down their weapons today, that they will open the humanitarian corridor for civilians to leave now this is very crucial to the region in this fight in the east, but also out of russia we're hearing that brittney griner, the wnba star's detention has been extended to the 2nd of july. the state department is calling her detention unlawfully

detained and are calling for her release. they learned about this news on russian television finally alexi navalny who is serving 11 1/2 year sentence has been moved to a new penal colony his legal team arrived to his prison to find out he wasn't there. they've since learned from a russian prison monitor that it was a surprise move and he's being moved to a new penal colony farther outside of russia >> so many moving parts making our headlines. as we discussed earlier, we have weather extremes for tens of millions this morning nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking all of that for us good morning, michelle. >> good morning to you both. intensity is sparking storms this morning storms strong to severe and have a safety plan in place in the midwest. this is what it looks like on radar. you can see lots of lightning. strong storms this morning to severe thunderstorm warnings

throughout parts of nebraska, iowa and wisconsin this is what it looks like today. severe prediction center estimating 33.4 with severe weather, damaging hail with 2 inches or larger very large hail. a tornado or two, some could be strong gusts up to factor in the humidity warm in the south. temperatures in the 90s. we'll talk about that record-breaking heat it's going to continue for quite a bit. >> all right we'll see. we'll be needing that relief thank you. profiting from the pandemic. how one company got hundreds of millions of dollars. major recall to warn drivers

about. we're back in just 60 seconds. so i got a swiffer wetjet to get a cleaner, clean! i stick on a fresh pad. boom! it's ready to go. the spray breaks down dirt. and the pad absorbs it deep inside. unlike my mop that can spread it around. and wetjet's even safe on wood! all this? buh-bye. it's so simple! i get a cleaner clean every day. try wejet with a money back guarantee. i've been telling everyone... the secret to great teeth is having healthy gums. crest advanced gum restore. detoxifies below the gumline... and restores by helping heal gums in as little as 7 days. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america.

new questions this morning over the distribution of covid relief money congressional investigators say one small company pocketed hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: this nondescript office building in virginia housed a company to help distribute billions of dollars of loans to help struggling small businesses during the pandemic the firm rer solutions got a no bid $750 million contract. the company netted $340 million in windfall profits despite assigning the work to 6 employees according to a u.s. house subcommittee report. >> >> reporter: why do you think covid spending at that time was so out of control? >> because we did not have effective enforcement of the oversight procedures that congress put in place.

>> reporter: the economic injury disaster lone known as eidl has previously been under scrutiny >> the small business administration is sending that money out. >> reporter: prosecutors have already accused some borrowers of using the money to buy large homes, cryptocurrency and teslas revelations as much as 20% of the funds may have been awarded to fraudsters. >> each dollar stolen was taken from small restaurant owners. >> reporter: rer said it subcontracted part of the work out to two ore companies the firm has not been charged with any crime of misconduct would not respond to nbc news's repeated request for comment. >> taking advantage of a law that existed. >> reporter: this could be just the tip of the iceberg there are more than 1100 ongoing

investigation in pandemic-related small business loans. back to you. >> gabe, thank you. next on "early today," wnow's steve sedgwick will break do h the fed's big rate hike today could hit your bottom line arm agent. texted the next day? same guy. is that even legal? and get this - he remembered my name. of course. (whispering) hey, blink twice if you're in danger. whoa, guys. at state farm, we actually get to know you. it's called service. come on! like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® what makes febreze car vent clips different? febreze has steady release technology. just click, install and boom! febreze uses your fan to circulate freshness that won't overwhelm or fade... for up to 40 days of consistent scent. febreze car. ready to shine from the inside out? say “yes” to nature's bounty advanced gummies

and jelly beans. the number one brand for hair, skin and nails. with two times more biotin to bring out more of your inner beauty. nature's bounty. live bountifully. if you haven't tried dawn powerwash dish spray, what are you waiting for? nature's bounty. it's dawn's fastest and easiest way to clean everyday dishes. you just spray, wipe and rinse. it cleans five times faster to actually break down grease on contact. so spray your dishes clean... with dawn powerwash dish spray. you love rich, delicious ice cream. but your stomach doesn't. that disagreement ends right now. lactaid ice cream is the creamy, real ice cream you love that will never mess with your stomach. lactaid ice cream. be ready for whatever life throws your way. that will never mess with your stomach. only dial provides a hard-working clean but is gentle to skin with its skin smart complex and 3 moisturizers to leave your skin feeling fresh and healthy. nothing cleans like dial. ♪ when you have nausea, ♪

♪ heartburn, ingestion, upset stomach... ♪ ♪ diarrheaaaa.♪ try pepto bismol with a powerful coating action. for fast and soothing relief. pepto bismol for fast relief when you need it most.

ford is recalling nearly 50,000 muss take mach e electric cars it's due to potential overheating of the battery's main contactors. that can cause the car not to start or to suddenly lose forward motion while driving the affected models are 2021 and 2022 mach es. today is the day the federal reserve is set to raise interest rates to slow down the worst inflation in 40 years. would it work or could it cause a recession or stagflation steve sedgwick is watching it all. hope you have good news for us.

>> reporter: if your a a saver, i have good news i have got good news if you are a saver, you will finally be getting decent interest rates for the rest of us out there, i'm afraid i don't have good news for us, frances sky high inflation, the latest print on friday was 8.6% the target from the federal reserve is as low as 2%. you can see how concerned they are about this over the weekend the mood music changed. thought they were going to see 50 basis point rise and pencilling now almost a 75% basis point rise it's what jay powell has to say next, the chair of the fed will say we could have more of the same as he tries to tame inflation. i'm afraid to say it could be, a, 75 basis points and, b, more to come. the problem is future interest rates, 30-year mortgages, 6.82% now.

6.28%. it has surged over the last two weeks. over double of the lows of last year a week ago it was 5.55%. what's that doing for the mortgage market? mortgage applications have plummeted. demand has fallen. home sales have stopped. here's the key ingredient. have prices come down? and the answer is not yet. maybe that's the final penny to drop i'm afraid it's not great news for most people out there. >> hope it doesn't get worse before it gets better. thank you. michelle is next with the wicked heat wave. >> ready for duty. the officer back on thjoe b after using her own car to stop a car heading for a crowd of runners. of touch-activated scent technology. that lasts, even hours later! that's because febreze touch stores scent in your fabrics so you get bursts of freshness with every touch. your whole world will come alive.

welcome home to fresh with febreze touch. la, la, la, la, la want more from your vitamins? get more with nature's bounty. from the first-ever triple action sleep supplement. to daily digestive support. to more wellness solutions every day. get more with nature's bounty. i'm in love again with this! to more wellness solutions every day. my secret is the new secret dry spray. it smells so good! and it's secret, so it works all day. spray fresh. stay fresh. secret. she's feeling the power of listerine. he's feeling it. yep, them too. it's an invigorating rush... ...zapping millions of germs in seconds. for that one-of-a-kind whoa... ...which leaves you feeling... ahhhhhhh listerine. feel the whoa! with depression, you just feel...blah. not okay. all...the...symptoms.

need to deal with this. so your doctor tells you about trintellix, a prescription medicine for adults with depression. okay, feeling relief from overall symptoms. hmm. and trintellix had no significant impact on weight in clinical trials. so there's that. trintellix may increase suicidal thoughts and actions in people 24 and younger. call a doctor right away if you have these, or new or worsening depression, or new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings. do not take with maois. tell your doctor about all medicines you take to avoid a life-threatening condition. increased risk of bleeding may occur, especially if taken with aspirin, nsaid pain relievers, or blood thinners. manic episodes, eye problems, low sodium levels, and sexual problems can occur. suddenly stopping trintellix may cause serious side effects. common side effects include nausea, constipation, and vomiting. some reports of weight gain have been received since product approval. looking up. time for a change? ask your doctor about trintellix. from the very first touch. pampers, the #1 pediatrician recommended brand. time for a change? helps keep baby's skin drier and healthier.

so every touch will protect like the first. pampers pre-rinsing your dishes? you could be using the wrong detergent. and wasting up to 20 gallons of water. skip the rinse with finish quantum. its activelift technology provides an unbeatable clean on 24 hour dried-on stains. skip the rinse with finish to save our water. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches onin your hands or feet?ns. try nervivenerve relief from the world's #1 selling nerve care company. nervive contains alpha lipoic acid to relieve occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort. try nervivenerve relief. welcome back on this wednesday. the sizzling temperatures continue temperatures in the upper 90s feeling like over 100 degrees once you factor in the humidity. from st. louis, chicago, detroit. it stays in place tomorrow

once again near 100 degreeness little rock. we'll be right back. night! that's when we started using swiffer. in just a few minutes, duster captures dust before it gets airborne. it traps and locks dust in one swipe. yes! for our floors, sweeper's heavy duty cloths easily trap dust, dirt and hair... locking it in. see ya, dust! and swiffer partners with the american lung association to support clean air. for your most brilliant smile, crest has you covered. “nice smile, brad.” “nice!” “thanks?” crest 3d white. 100% more stain removal.

crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. the tennessee sheriff is warning that picking up random trash may not pay off. there have been twofolded dollar bills found on the floor of the gas station that had fentanyl and meth inside. the sheriff is urging people not to pick up what he calls pouches of poison. the espys are set to honor napoly klitchko will win the arthur ashe award. the former heavy weight champion

boxer has been kyiv's mayor since 2014 in a statement he said the honor is, quote, for everyone who defends the independence of ukraine. she is being hailed as a hero after stopping a drunk driver now the florida highway patrol trooper returns to full-time duty we have the story from tampa >> reporter: after three months -- >> it was my job to do i would do it over again. >> reporter: trooper tonischuck was there. >> in my heart i knew i was going to fight to get back. >> reporter: trooper schuck said it's been a bumpy road using her patrol vehicle as a barricade. her quick thinking prevented a drunk driver from reaching nearly 7,000 racers who were participating in the skyway 10k.

>> i'm glad it was me. i'm glad nobody else got hurt and, you know, it's my job and i felt i did what i had to do. >> reporter: authorities say 52-year-old kristin watts was behind the wheel in the car that hit trooper schuck she had a blood alcohol concentration three times over the legal limit. last week watts was deemed incompetent to stand trial. >> i'm glad it's an in process treatment she's going to get >> reporter: she's thankful for the outpour of support, locally, statewide, nationally and even globally >> thanks to wfla and brittney for that report. that is the way to do it go everyday on that job with the outlook and the hundreds of lives she saved. >> that community should be very thankful she's on the job. even when she's not, she's done good. >> thanks for waking up with

"early today." i'm frances rivera. >> i'm phillip mena. today is a van in guthrie has the second part of the interview with amber heard she says she will not back down. thanks for watching "early today" okay. ahhh! wa-hoo! ha ha! no! no ha ha!

vaccines have been available for order. many states and communities have been ordering them so they are on shelves waiting for formal approval. >> right now we are moving you forward. what parents need to keep in mind ahead of the fda possible authorization of covid-19 vaccine for kids and the weight bay area counties are prepared . take a hike. looming decision from the federal reserve that will have an impact on your credit card payments and the rest of the economy.