>> nation over 100 million americans facing temperatures above 90 degrees. what could be the hottest summer ever for many underscoring president biden's new climate initiatives. the stage is set for pri time showdown. who's set to testify in tonight's bombshell january 6 hearing, foecussed on what forme president trump did as rioters descended on the capitol disbarred attorney alex

murdaugh pleads not gylfuilty to murdering his wife and son the red hot housing market is cooling off we look at the new "game of thrones" spinoff "house of the dragon." "early today" starts right now good morning to you. i'm frances rivera >> i'm phillip mena. ths to swelter with millions of americans at the mercy ofbeable heat e died from heat-associated deaths and while it may feel like the hottest summer ever, the heat wave of 1936 was actually the hottest on record in the country. an estimated 5,000 people died as temperatures hit 121 degrees in north dakota. according to the national oceanic and atmospheric association, there have been 92

instances of record temperatures >> president biden doubled down on his efforts on climate change >> this is an emergency. an emergency and i will i will look at it that way i said last week and i will say it again loud and clear. as president, i'll use my executive powers to combat climate, the climate crisis in the absence of congressional action >> the president authorized more fema spending on climate-resilient infrastructure, expanding energy assistance for low-income families and is looking into the possibility of wind farms in mexico we turn to michelle grossmann, who is tracking these extreme temperatures for us. hi, michelle >> we're looking at extreme temperatures, intense, record breaking and dangerous we're going to see temperatures rising into the 90s, also 100s, 82 million people impacted by a heat alert that's through the west, the plains, into portions of the northeast. the northeast will feel like 100

degrees in many spots. we will see a stretch of that through the weekend. even 80s in the northern tier of the nation getting a break there. but we're expecting 216 million highs highs above 90 kdegrees. >> wheeltonight's prime time heg could be the january 6 committee's dramatic finale, according to a new report from the "washington post," the panel may show outtakes from an address mr. trump made on the day after the attack on the capitol. advisors urged trump to condemn the violence and he struggled to do it. calling the rioters patriots and refusing to say the election was over chris pollone joins us from d.c. good morning committee aides have said it

will be about a very specific 187-minute window of time. >> reporter: yeah, phillip, good morning. aides say the panel will give a minute by minute account of exactly what was going on inside the west wing and what former president donald trump was doing from the moment he concluded his speech on the ellipse at 1:10:00 p.m. until a video at 4:17 p.m. telling his supporters to go home he continued expressing his desire to go there after his security team told him it wasn't safe the hearing will include live testimony from two former white house aides, matthew pottinger and sarah matthews both said they resigned over trump's actions during the riot. the committee received more than 10,000 pages of documents from the secret service but only a single text message related to january 6. employees received two e-mails

re reminding them to preserve messages on their phone before they were restored to factory settings meanwhile, attorney general merrick garland was asked about the justice department's investigation into efforts to overturn the election. here's what he had to say. >> this is the most wide-ranging investigation and the most important investigation that the justice department has ever entered into no person is above the law in this country nothing stops us -- >> even a former president >> i don't know how to -- let me say that again no person is above the haw in tflaw thi country. i can't say it more clearly than that >> ultimately t', it's up to the

justice department whether to pursue charges >> nbc will have special coverage of the hearing at 8:00 p.m. eastern federal prosecutors have rested their case in steve bannon's trial after calling just two witnesses the senior staffer testified that raising claims of executive privilege was not a valid reason for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena a special agent also took the stand testifying on bannon's social media posts that linked articles talking about the subpoena the defense will present its case today a 2019 abortion law is now in effect in georgia, banning most abortions a federal appeals court overturned the law

excepti exceptions for rape and incest are allowed as long as a police report is filed. after sign bipartisan gun safety legislation in the wake of the uvalde school shooting, president biden is traveling to pennsylvania today to champion the safer communities act. mr. biden will speak about lou to how to build on a law to reduce gun violence this year's shooting in buffalo, uvalde and highland park were committed with ar-style weapons. the uvalde school district is calling a special meeting this weekend to decide whether to fire its police chief during the robb elementary school massacre, pete arredondo led the law enforcement response which has been heavily criticized the closed session on saturday

will discuss the issues around terminating his employment alec murdaugh appeared in court, pleading not guilty to murdering his wife and son the shooting is one of the many crimes murdaugh is accused of. >> reporter: disbarred attorney alex murdaugh on the wrong side of the courtroom >> are you guilty or knot guilty of the felonies wherein you stand indicted >> not guilty. >> reporter: charges of murdering his wife and one of his sons the indictment alleges he used two different weapons on them, a rifle and shotgun respectively they happened june 7, 2021, murdaugh calling 911 that day saying he found them dead at the family's hunting property. >> my wife and my son.

>> reporte >> reporter: murdaugh facing these charges now more than a year after the killings. two sources close to the investigation tell nbc news, authorities have cell phone video they believe puts murdaugh at the scene of the slayings shortly before they took place and also contradicts a previous timeline of events >> there's forensic evidence as well as other evidence of guilt. >> reporter: h both sides requesting a gag order, citing the media attention the case has received prosecutors say the web of alleged crimes extends to drug trafficking, conspiracy, narcotics and more that they allege point to murdaugh's

allegations of murder. >> a lot of that provides the background and the motive for what happened on june 7, 2021. >> reporter: murdaugh's attorneys have previously admitted some wrong doing. >> look, he's reconciled to the fact he's going to prison. >> reporter: but has strongly denied he had a role in his family's death >> when the police show up and the husband finds them, most time it's going to turn out that the husband was involved, and that unfortunately is the assumption made that night and a number of missteps since then investigating the case because they keep trying to pound that square peg into the round hole >> reporter: murdaugh thinks the killer is still at large but murdaugh was denied bond it's the latest development in a slough of behavior and incidents

surrounding his family the housekeeper says they did not get a settlement payout, and murdaugh himself alleged to have been shot. now heading into a murder trial. lightning struck a young landscaper in florida on tuesday. and one good samaritan described their efforts to save the victim >> told him to call 911. found no pulse, no breathing, commencing with cpr. and did not sntop until the fire department relieved me >> the maintenance worker had been cutting grass and ended up beneath a burning palm tree. the passerby walked out and found him when he was out for a walk and administered cpr until rescue crews arrived michelle is back with a look at your forecast

>> it keachseps going on and on. we are looking at high humidit as well. 99 in little rock making it feel like 107 it will feel like 103 in d.c. with an air temperature of 97. triple digits across the plains. 102 in memphis it's going to feel like 106. feeling like 101 i northeast, temperatures in the 90s. could see storms, strong to severe storms in parts of new england, 78 in portland. all right, guys, that heat and humidity is going to spark the chance for severe storms

>> wow, just unbelievable. day after day. still to about keeping a he. what goes on it. usually. and in it. mostly. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 high quality products. rigorously tested by us. real world tested by you. and particularly kind... to your wallet. need long-lasting freshness? try febreze unstopables touch and pfabric spray.ind... it doesn't just eliminate odors... simply shake and spray to unlock the breakthrough power 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 i think about pride. i think about the four ds, desire, determination, dedication, discipline of body and mind the ability to have the drive and desire at that crucial moment when you have to perform. >> the always-passionate dick vitale at the espy awards. the legendary basketball announcer who recently battled cancer delivered a heartwarming speech while accepting the jimmy v award for perseverance steph curry joined wnba players in a moving push to bring brittney griner home >> we've kept her in our thoughts and in our hearts even though we know that ain't

nearly enough to bring her home, y'all. >> the group urged the global sports community to keep saying griner's name and pushing for her release. and even though he hosted the show, steph curry still walked away with two espys for best nba player and best record-breaking performance. novak djokovic will not be allowed to play in this year's u.s. open. he is not vaccinated and will not be able to enter the country due to his vaccination status. the u.s. open doesn't have a vaccination mandate for players but will respect the government's policy for travel into the country by non-vaccinated non-u.s. citizens and step into the house of the dragons. our first look at the new "game of thrones" spin off i tell theme your detergent— that's why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum... off.soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time.

cascade platinum. a dental tool is round for a reason. so is an oral-b. round cleans better by surrounding each tooth. so clean, you'll feel like you just left the dentist. oral-b. brush like a pro. ♪♪ does your plug-in fade too fast? try febreze fade defy plug. oral-b. brush like a pro. it has built-in technology to digitally control how much scent is released to smell first day fresh for 50 days. la la la la la. you're pretty particular about keeping a healthy body. what goes on it. usually. and in it. mostly. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 high quality products. rigorously tested by us. real world tested by you. and particularly kind... to your wallet.

mornings are our time, and i couldn't let stiff joints slow me down. so i started taking osteo bi-flex every day because it has joint shield... ...clinically shown to improve joint comfort within 7 days. osteo bi-flex - available at your local retailer and club. listen, i'm done settling. because this is my secret. osteo bi-flex - i put it on once, no more touch ups! secret had ph balancing minerals; and it helps eliminate odor, dawn is flipping the way america does dishes. new dawn platinum ez-squeeze. it's an upside-down bottle... with no cap. just grab, squeeze and platinum's upgraded formula breaks down grease faster. tackle grease wherever it shows up. no flip, no mess. dawn ez-squee.

accept me as their queen

>> a woman will not inherit the iron throne. >> when i am queen, i will create an order. >> hbo is taking it back to westeros the "game of thrones" prequel occurs 200 years before the original it begins august 21st. this red hot housing market is finally cooling down. a dip in demand, a major about face from all those real estate bidding wars, but is it enough to give buyers a second chance at homes they can actually afford emily ikeda has the story. >> reporter: interest rates are slamming home buyers teacher rachel payne and her fiance pressing pause on their house hunt in northern virginia. >> i never thought in a million years i would be offering over a

million dollars on a house, let alone that not even being enough >> reporter: payne is far from alone in her frustration as new data reveals draining demand reversing the red hot housing market homes are selling at a slower pace, down 21% since january and mortgage applications hit their lowest point since 2000. >> the housing market was extraordinary. huge number of buyers, which pushed up the prices now the affordability is becoming a major challenge for new sets of buyers >> reporter: homebuilders' confidence in the market is al nose diving. but even as more house hunters call it quits, the median home price saw another high last month at $416,000. are you seeing the demand change >> it feels like no demand some days >> reporter: this realtor says sellers are slow to accepting the new reality of the housing

market >> it's very, very hard to accept the changes, especially if you have bought in the last two and a half years and you went through that experience as a buyer to now have a completely opposite happen. >> reporter: with thinning competition, buyer whose lost out on bidding may get a second chance at homes that have been lingering on the market more recently that is if they can swallow the mortgage rates that have more than doubled since last year severe storms on the radar michelle has our forecast next and still ahead,ns iide the federal crackdown to get rid of those spam text messages >> hate those.

febreze unstopables touch fabric spray. just shake and spray... to unlock touch-activated scent technology... hours—or even days—later... enjoy bursts of freshness with every touch. for . grab febreze touch. i get bladder leaks. i didn't want to feel like i was wearing the pads i wore when i was twelve. then i tried the always discreet pads. they fit perfectly in the places they're supposed to. look how much it holds, and it still stays thin! it's the protection we deserve! a jelly bean that's good for you? try nature's bounty jelly bean vitamins. good-for-you nutrients in a tastier-for-you form. more sweet dreams. more flavorful immune support. get more with nature's bounty jelly beans. for the power of a deep clean in mo minutes try mr. clean clean freak unlike bleach sprays, clean freak begins deep cleaning on contact with 3x the cleaning power to break down tough messes in seconds

so, it's perfect for stovetops, tough bathroom soap scum, and even stainless steel. mr. clean clean freak you ever wonder why people are always on their phones? they're banking, with bank of america. look at this guy. he bought those tickets on his credit card and he's rackin' up the rewards. she's using zelle to pay him back for the hot dogs he's about to buy. and the announcer? he's not checkin' his stats, he's finding some investing ideas with merrill. and third as you know in baseball means three. digital tools so impressive, you just can't stop banking. what would you like the power to do? when you can't sleep... try zzzquil pure zzz's gummies. they help you fall asleep naturally with an optimal dose of melatonin. and a complementary botanical blend. so you can wake up refreshed. for better sleep, like never before. so you can wake up refreshed. did you know that febreze air effects uses 100% natural propellant? cheaper aerosols use artificial propellants. that's why febreze works differently. plus, it eliminates odors

with a water-based formula and no dyes. for freshness you'll enjoy. my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... the burning, itching. the pain. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks. the majority of people saw 90% clearer skin even at 5 years. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®. ask your doctor about tremfya® today. welcome back on this thursday we are tracking some strong to severe storms from new england all the way down to the southeast. 26 million people at risk. we would see really heavy rain also winds gusting over 60 miles per hour could see hail and the chance of

a tornado. where you see the yellow is the cldotest sp weou see two to three inches of rain. we'll be right back. we're talking dental hall of fame... you want a sticker? for great checkups, crest has you covered... because crest pro-health protects 100% of your mouth for 24 hours. keep up the good work. now, from crest pro-health new densify. like bones, your teeth lose density overtime. but, crest has you covered. crest densify... actively rebuilds tooth density to extend the life of teeth. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. you're pretty particular about keeping a healthy body. what goes on it. usually. and in it. mostly. here to meet those high standards is the walgreens health and wellness brand. over 2000 high quality products. rigorously tested by us. real world tested by you. and particularly kind... to your wallet.

okay a dee detest robocalls and now robo texts have become a nuisance nbc's vickie nguyen has thousand protect yourself >> reporter: the rise of spam text messages. a new consumer report is calling for a federal crackdown saying that the fcc needs to block

obviously illegal text messages. >> robo texts have really exploded it's an easy way to get into consumers' cell phones, because the data is all out there and very much available to scammers. >> reporter: the soaring volume of these nuisance texts is staggering according to robo killer, more than 12 billion spam text messages were sent just last month. over 87 billion were reported in 2021 a near 60% increase from 2020. >> a huge problem. all our data somebodyubject to sold to data brokers, and they have no conscience >> reporter: these text messages from telemarketers to suspicion numbers becoming the new junk mail haley miller receives up to ten spam texts per week.

>> it could be hey, we want to buy your house we see it's on the market, and i'm like, my house definitely is not on the market. that's a spam text, delete >> reporter: as spam text messages skyrocket, they have a new way to steal personal information, something bailey says she almost fell for when she clicked on a text link that said she was overdue on a $150 electric bill. >> it took me to a website that was believable i was like, i should check with my mom to verify everything's good to know and she's like, no, i have a receipt where i paid it. luckily, i didn't enter any information or hit submit. that could have definitely gone wrong. >> reporter: be mindful of the number sending the message spam texts typically come from a number ten digits or respond even writing stop can allow your data to be at risk keep your eye out for misspelled words and most importantly, avoid opening any links.

>> great advice, because we have all been there it's easy for me to ignore them. but my mom time and time again comes to me, what is this, what do i do? >> same thing happened to my grandma. scum of the earth. they should be tarred an

right now, a desperate plea for change as east bay rideshare drivers were killed near their home. the action that there hoping will help ensure everyone is safe. exiting california. digging deeper into the reasons reason so many are saying goodbye to the golden state.