what was supposed to be a time of celebration ends in tragedy. teenagers in texas shot at an after prom party

police searching for a motive. escaping deadly violence in sudan. after a week of heavy fighting, special forces evacuating american diplomats bed bath and bankruptcy. the housewares giant files for chapter 11, and all items must go and it's about drag time lizzo takes a stance against a tennessee ban in front of thousands of fans. it's monday, april 24th. "early today" starts right now good morning i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm frances rivera. floods have ravaged much of the country in recent months on saturday, florida governor ron desantis said he will ask the biden administration to declare broward county a disaster area after record rainfall caused flooding earlier this month it would allow residents with damaged homes and property to become eligible for loans and other assistance meanwhile, a raging wildfire in north carolina is causing serious air quality issues in at

least 21 counties across the eastern part of the state. the blaze, known as the great lakes fire, has burned at least 36,000 acres in encroaching national forest. according to the north carolina forest service, it's now 30% contained as crews continue to fight the flames now to reports of another mass shooting targeting teenagers. this time in jasper county, texas. the violence erupted after midnight on sunday at a house where about 250 people had gathered for an after prom party. according to police, nine people were shot. the victims range in age from 15 to 19 years old. and all are expected to survive. officials said people of interest were questioned, but they did not announce the arrest of any suspects. american forces have evacuated all u.s. embassy personnel from sudan in a stunning airlift happening amid fierce clashes in the capital of khartoum secretary of state antony blinken said the ongoing strife posed an unacceptable risk to

our embassy personnel. let's go live to london and ali arouzi good morning what more can you tell us about these evacuations? >> good morning. that's right the situation on the ground in sudan has become so perilous and so unpredictable that the white house announced they conducted an operation on sunday morning to remove embassy staff. u.s. officials say around 100 special force evacuated. a little less than 100 personnel on three chinook helicopters they call operation fast and clean. now since then, the u.s. embassy in khartoum has closed operations there, have been suspended, and u.s. personnel have posted a statement saying that at this moment, it's not safe for the u.s. government to evacuate personal citizens out of sudan now, since then, mark warner, the chair of the senate

intelligence committee, democratic chair said that the u.s. is working with its partners and its allies to remove safely any u.s. citizens that are still there, but he said for the time being, they need to shelter in place the u.s. also announced on sunday that a disaster response team had been sent over the area to conduct humanitarian responses for people both inside sudan and outside sudan. samantha power from us aid said the u.s. set up operations in kenya and for now they were conducting life-saving humanitarian assistance. but it's not just the u.s. that have evacuated out of sudan. a long string of other diplomatic missions have evacuated their staff, including the united kingdom, holland, france, and many countries in the middle east and asia as the situation in sudan continues to deteriorate with hundreds killed and thousands injured.

>> and hoping those continued evacuations stay safe and go smoothly ali, thank you let's turn now to russia's ongoing war on ukraine according to a washington, d.c. think tank, ukraine has positioned troops near kherson part of that region is under russian control. the institute for the study of war analyzed information from pro-russia bloggers and said geolocated footage shows ukrainian troops establishing a foothold and setting up stable supply lines this could be an early sign of a spring counter-offensive in the works. a spokesperson for the ukrainian military called for patience and said any details could not be disclosed for security reasons the massachusetts air national guard has been accused of posting pentagon documents line may have started his alleged leaking a lot rlier than new york authorities a user profile matching that of jack teixeira first uploaded

military secrets on discord in late february, apparently two days after russia's invasion of ukraine. that's ten months before the december 2022 leaks that he is charged with two sources familiar with the matter tell nbc news that investigators gave no indication that they were aware of this new set of disclosures when they briefed congress last week both the fbi, teixeira's lawyer and the pentagon declined to comment. former vice president mike pence is weighing in on the battle over abortion rights. mr. pence, a staunch anti-abortion advocate shared his thoughts on "face the nation" sunday >> i'd like to see this medication off the market to protect the unborn but also, have i deep concerns about the way the fda went about approving mifepristone 20 years ago. >> well, the drug continues to be at the center of a court battle after a federal judge in texas ruled in favor of a coalition of doctors who oppose abortion

he ruled to strip the fda's approval of the pill but on friday, the supreme court ordered that the medication remain broadly available as litigation plays out in a lower court. sources familiar with the decision tell nbc news that president biden will name senior adviser julie chavez rodriguez as his 2024 campaign manager this comes as biden is widely expected to announce his reelect bid as early as tuesday, the fourth anniversary of his 2020 campaign launch. nbc's monica alba has more on the president's plans. >> reporter: president biden getting ready to run again, set to launch his reelection bit as early as tuesday as an nbc news national poll shows 70% of all americans, including 51% of democrats say he shouldn't seek another term many citing age as a top concern as the president is the oldest ever to serve. though democratic lawmakers who support him were quick to dismiss that >> i was one of his first supporters way back in 2019, attended his first event here in philadelphia

and i look forward to supporting him again. >> his performance tells me he is up to the job and does it well >> president biden has such a strong record to run on. >> reporter: while his potential opponent, former president trump still enjoys the support of 2/3 of republican primary voters despite concerns about his recent indictment and other pending criminal investigations. but majorities of all americans surveyed say they don't want either of them in 2024 echoed by those vying for the republican nomination >> what america does not want is another repeat of 2020 where we have joe biden and donald trump running against each other >> reporter: as mr. trump and his former vice president both focused on abortion restrictions in iowa saturday night in front of voters who will be the first to have a say in the primary fight next year. >> we appointed three justices to the supreme court of the united states that sent roe v. wade to the ash heap of history, where it belongs

>> those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. >> reporter: but not everyone in the gop agrees >> as republicans, we need to read the room on this issue. because the vast majority of folks are not in the extremes. >> now tuesday seems likely for the announcement because it's the four-year anniversary of the president launching his 2020 campaign, but it also would allow him to start fundraising formally which he is expected to discuss with top donors in washington later this week back to you. >> monica, thank you temperatures are taking a bit of a dip today nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking that cold front for us hey, michelle, good morning. >> great to see you. it's chilly this morning temperatures below freezing in many spots, and by this afternoon is going to feel more like march as opposed to late april. this morning waking up to 53 million americans under some sort of freeze alert weather it's a freeze watch or warning the freeze warning is the dark pink we'll see temperatures 10 to 15

degrees below what is typical for this time of year. but look at these numbers this morning. below freezing in davenport in the 40s in st. louis paducah 37 indianapolis also below freezing, 31 it's 38 degrees right now in louisville and it's chilly too throughout portions of the midatlantic, the northeast. 35 right now in state college. as we go throughout the day, we're going to be chilly you see that flow here from canada that's bringing down the cooler air. cincinnati 55. that's 14 degrees below normal and just 74 in portions of the south where they're supposed to be into the 80s. we're looking at that late april weather tomorrow as well buffalo 48 degrees 12 below what is typical for this time of y the plains. 64 in dallas showers and storms in parts of florida.

all right, guys. it's monday. we're going to take a look at that week ahead in just a bit. >> okay, thank you, michelle after the break, a retail giant files for bankruptcy. >> and we will take yoyou insise the e $22 mimillion mansnsion. it is wortrth the pricice tag? ♪ yoyour prescriription for.r. staying g right wherere you a. ♪ ♪ your prescscription fofor... ththe blue or r white pilll. ♪ hohow did kellllogg's combmbe crunchy y oat clusteters with a a touch of f honey... hohow did kellllogg's combmbe crunchy y oat clusteters plump,p, juicy raiaisins anand tasty fifiber into one d delicious c ce? plump,p, juicy raiaisins anand tasty fifiber it tooook a lot of b bran-stormiming. get it? it tooook a lot of b bran-stormiming. kekellogg's raraisin bran n cr. two scoooops of delilicious. it tooook a lot of b bran-stormiming. ♪♪♪

(mmm) ♪♪♪ (mmm) (hmm) (mmm) (m(mmmhmm) (mmm) ♪♪♪ (mmm) milk c chocolate b beyond wo. clasassic recipepe by li. after a year filled with job cuts and store closing, houseware staple bed bath & beyond is closing its doors. the retail giant announced sunday that it had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after efforts to raise enough money to stay alive proved unsuccessful analysts attributed to company's demise to internal issues as well as the changes in the economic world the company added that its 360 retail locations will continue to remain open as it winds down its operations the executive for bud light is taking a leave of answer after the brand's relationship with a transgender influencer sparked controversy and calls

for boycott. both reporting that alyssa heinershied is being replaced. the company is streamlining brand operations so senior market verse greater oversight dylan mulvaney has nearly 11 million followers. her post attracted complaints from conservative figures hostile to transgendered people. the ceo has issued a statement saying, quote, we never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people lizzo uses his stage to support drag performers in tennessee. she was joined by many drag queens for her show in knoxville. tennessee passed a law designed to restrict drag performances in public lizzo said she had been warned not to come to tennessee, but said she wanted to create a safe space. . >> thank you so much for standing up for your rights, protecting each other. and holding people accountable who show be protecting us. >> lizzo said she wanted to

bring her message to the people who needed to hear it the most a 16,000-square-foot home in south carolina is up for sale. the estate is listed for $22 million. it could be the most expensive home sold in that state's history. our greenville affiliate takes us inside. >> reporter: a 16,000-square-foot house where every inch tells a story. >> we have a lamppost from central park in new york we have planters made from materials from the great wall of china. >> reporter: and even nods to the upstate. >> the room that we're in now, these giant beams came from the old clifton mill in spartanburg. it was made from scratch and hand-built. >> reporter: here year just a 15-minute drive from woodruff road, but you may feel like you've been transported thousands of miles away to the english countryside. >> you can still escape back to your 54-acre secluded estate you can't see any of the

neighbors around it's a rare sanctuary. >> reporter: a sanctuary that includes a state-of-the-art equestrian facility with two outdoor arenas, a covered arena, and a barn with 12 stalls. and back in the house, listing agent damian hall says every amenity a luxury homeowner could want is included, all the way down to the basement there is a movie theater down there. there is an incredible wine cellar that looks like it fell off the pages of architectural digest. >> reporter: it's the most expensive home listed in the state, according to hall he says the second most expensive home sold in the upstate was in 2021 for 20.5 million, the vander horse mansion on kiawah island but hall says this property is worth every penny. >> to recreate this property right now would be over $30 million. that's even if you could find the land so it's a really exceptional property >> reporter: as for what's next, hall says they're excited to see what family would like to call

it home, but there could be another future for the property as well. >> we also think it could be an entity that wants to create an amazing event venue or b&b, kind of like hotel domestique this could be a fabulous option for that. >> thanks to sydney for a look at this beautiful home still to come, the northern lights come auroring in the skies above half the couountry >> > and pair of special tur sasay see you u later to d dry . prililosec otc r reduces excessss acid for r 24 hours, blococking heartrtburn before i it starts.. one pillll a day. 2424 ho. zero heaeartburn. blococking heartrtburn before i it starts.. (dogog barking)) we lovove our petsts. one pillll a day. 2424 ho. zero heaeartburn. bubut we don't't always love their hair.

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were you one of the lucky people to see the northern lights across the u.s. stretching from washington to maine and as far south as kansas, more than 30 states had the chance to see this dazzling display on sunday night. the possibility it came after the sun had a solar flare erupt on friday that was directed toward earth that's according to noaa's space prediction weather center. it's said the best time was

between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time, depending on your area's weather and cloud coverage these are just -- staggering images here that we don't ever really get to see in most of the united states. >> and not only that, to have so many states being able to have access or at least, you know, to see their show, but especially being up at this hour, take advantage of it. we didn't have so much luck here in new york, unfortunately but that is just amazing hopefully they were able to enjoy it >> usually you have to fly to iceland and to be able to see something like this, a once in a lifetime thing for most. but we got luckier, or at least many of us did >> stay unchecked. >> two sea turtles received a special sendoff for earth day in florida. the juvenile turtles named larry and mo were rescued last year by the turtle hospital and diagnosed with a debilitating tumor causing disease. after many months of treatment to remove the tomb.

>> larry and mo were released back into the ocean. local families gathered to get an upclose look at the turtles before they made their way back home look at the crowd. the turtles are beautiful. the release was one of many activities to celebrate earth day in the florida keys. what a flash they made it's so cool to be able the do that, celebrate earth day. it's so cool to be able to do that those are huge shells. >> they're beautiful creatures and they should be taken care of as much as we did -- they're so vital to the ecosystem and also so delicate so i'm glad they're able to get larry and mo who knows where curly. >> go meet him back home in the water. >> curly is okay too welcoming them home. stay with us here on "early today" on this monday. michelle is here she's got a look at our forecast for the week ahead that's next. >> by the way, do you think kids even know who larry, curly, mo are? search it up still to come inside t the w ogm vivi patieients s access to n nurses fromom hundreds s os away

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welcome back on this monday. we're watching a few spots that will see showers, even snow in spots. the pacific northwest, we'll start there. higher elevation snow. some valley rain, coastal rain as well and snow throughout the cascades, and also the rockies to the midwest, we're looking at some snow and also some rain there. back to you guys >> michelle, thank you. after the break, we will remember a hero who survived the attack on pearl harbor stay with us ♪ sfx: [tetext notificication] ♪ yoyour prescriription for.r. staying g right wherere you a. ♪ ♪ your prescscription fofor... ththe blue or r white pilll. ♪

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many evelyn schultz from our affiliate in lexington, kentucky has the details. >> reporter: this may look like your typical hospital room, but there is something unique inside with the touch of a button, a patient can be connected to a virtual rn almost instantly. >> good morning, this is nurse cory. >> reporter: cory ross is able to communicate with patients in lexington from hundreds of miles away in indiana. as a virtual rn, he is part of the hospital's new virtually intergrated care program, available 24/7 to patients. >> i think it allows for patients who enter care to take the forefront. because now all of the sudden it allows for patients and families at any point in time raise a hand, ask a question, reach out, get more information about, you know, tests that they're going to have or procedures that they might go through, or medications that they might receive. >> reporter: though he is remote, ross collaborates with in-person staff. he can also take on more patients than a typical bedside

caregiver, any from 10 to 15 a day. hospital staff describe virtual nursing as a game change were the ability to address shortages in health care. >> there is a shortage there is a shortage everywhere with nurses. so having this extra set of eyes and ears is being able to have our bedside team take on a little bit more patient load >> reporter: even as technology improves, the hospital says commitment to patient privacy remains the same virtual rns always ask before joining a call. >> all right you have a good day. >> our thanks to evelyn schultz for that report. >> sometimes you just need to talk to somebody, and they're not available. and it's so helpful that now we are able to get on the computer and talk to someone. just give us that either reassurance or the get something we night need. >> everything. when it comes to teachers, nurse, doctors, in so many fields it's something we've grown to rely on these days. >> that's right. before we go, we'd like to

honor the life of an american hero his name howard ken potts. he was one of the two remaining survivors of the uss arizona battleship it sank during the attack in pearl harbor in 1941 potts enlisted when he wasle is years old. he navigated through the flaming harbor, helping pull crewmen from the water in interviews he called it his best day and his worst day in the navy potts passed away at his home in provo, utah. he was 102 years old you see the pictures of that day and think the man went through it all and came out the other end. >> what a life he lived that i'm sure his family will be able to pass ohis n

escaping deadly violence in sudan. after a week of heavy fighting,