there's almost nowhere in the country escaping the

historic heat. triple digit temperatures for weeks out west sweltering temperatures still in the for example. w forecast, what's the heat doing to your body north korea is keeping quiet about the soldier who fled into the country. today's the day "oppenheimer" drops in theaters. and you'd be surprised how much of the story surrounding it is still valid today. we're breaking down what platform more americans are turning in to. and these seniors are still showing a lot of spirit on the softball field we made it to friday it's july 21st and "early today" starts right now. and good morning and happy friday i'm jessica layton >> i'm frances rivera.

we begin with the heat wave that seems inescapable. june smashed records and july is coming in even hotter. global oceans have set record highs for a third straight month. phoenix has a record number of days reaching 110 or above the heat continues across the south over tthe /* over the nex. >> reporter: nearly a third of the population liviving in areas with heat advisories today it was 128 but pair these record-breaking heat waves with record-setting wildfires in canada. at one point new york city with the worst air quality in the world. >> outside right now a picture that is simply other worldly >> reporter: it's making many americans struggle to catch their breath >> it's definitely a point of concern to have a combination of poor air quality and intense heat >> reporter: the risk of early death increases by 21% on days

with extreme heat and air pollution, according to a 2022 study. so what exactly happens to your body when it's hit with both besides dehydration, heat takes a toll on your heart br blood vessels get smaller and decrease the oxygenated blood to your heart and organs. add if poor air quality. >> the heat dome effect. less movement of the air out of the system >> reporter: take your respiratory system for example your respiratory mucosal cells lie in your airways. normally, they make a barrier protecting the body from inhaling toxins. at air gets more polluted, your body's ability to generate that protective barrier can't keep up and wildfire smoke with particles smaller than a speck of dust can easily get through your respiratory system. >> they can get trapped and not

come out and that's where it can get absorbed into your body and cause more havoc in the system >> reporter: so what can you do to protect yourself? drinkwater, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, try to avoid physical activity in the middle of the day and keep track of the air quality >> it is certainly going to affect all of us, whether we have an underlying diagnosis or not. >> reporter: erica edwards, nbc news the grand jury investigating efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election heard hours-long testimony from a former trump white house aide yesterday. william russell is seen pictured with then-president trump on january 6, 2021. he spoke before the same special counsel prosecutor whose informed mr. trump he was the target of their investigation meaning he is likely to be indicted former trump attorney rudy giuliani met with prosecutors earlier this year, according to

one of his advisors. the former new york city mayor was a key figure in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election. in washington, speaker mccarthy denied a report that he had promised m trump a house vote to expunge his two impeachments the former president denied breaking the law and has slammed many investigations into him as quote, a big and vicious witch-hunt bit left. in another case connected to january 6, a former appointee in trump's state department was convicted thursday of seven felonies federico klein was found guilty on charges of obstruction of a proceeding, civil disorder and impeding officers. it came from judge trevor mcfadden while he did not enter the capitol that day, prosecutors argue klein was in the tunnel where some of the worst violence against police took place during the riots. the u.s. army has launched

an investigation into private king, the american soldier who chose to run into north korea. u.s. officials are trying to reach out to north korea using united nations channels but so far haven't been able to learn anything >> i don't think very much is known, and i don't think we have successfully made contact with the north korean authorities it makes me very, very concerned that private king is in the hands of north korean authorities. i worry about how they may treat him. >> north korea has remained silent about king, but on state media they did threaten nuclear escalation because of weapons that are in south korea. hackers with chinese corrections broke into the e-mails of the american ambassador to china. also hacked, the assistant secretary of state for east asia who recently traveled to china with secretary of state blinken. it's not clear what if any sensitive information was stolen

the chinese embassy in d.c. did not respond it our request for comment. a a miami-areaea mcdonalalds payingng up. a family has been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars after their child suffered second degree burns from a chicken mcnugget falling on her leg. ellison barber has the details and we do want to warn you some of the images you will see here are graphic. >> reporter: a happy meal now costing mcdonald's $800,000 after a miami-area jury awarded the massive sum to the family of a child who was severely burned by a chicken mcnugget. >> i'm happy they listened to olivia's voice and the jury was able to decide a fair judgment i'm happy with that. >> reporter: video from 2019 shows then 4-year-old olivia in the back seat of her mother's car as they left the mcdonald's drive through when a nugget fell on her leg her mother describing the horror to nbc's south florida station when they first filed the

lawsuit. >> i hear a scream and i turn around, and it's my daughter and wedged in between the seat belt, because it's like a five-point harness there is a chicken nugget i wasn't able to reach. >> reporter: those screams playing out in court for the jury at a trial in may, lawyers for olivia's family argued the temperature of the nugget was above 200 degrees. but the defense said it was not more than 160 degrees. the jury delivering a split verdict, find being mcdonald's and upchurch foods failed to put warnings on the food but were not negligent for causing the burns. >> last week, july 10 of this year, the scar is still there. >> reporter: as for olivia, four years later, she still has a scar on her leg. neither mcdonald's or upchurch foods has responded to request for comment, but this court one of their attorneys argued that the child did not suffer long-term injuries >> olivia is not disabled as a result of the incident it doesn't prevent olivia from going about her day-to-day

activities >> reporter: this not the first time mcdonald's has faced suits over the heat of their products. >> rep 79-year-old stella liebeck spent three weeks in the hospital after an mcdonald's hot coffee spilled on her lap. >> i was in terrible pain. >> reporter: she originally requested $20,000 to cover medical bills, but the case went to trial and a new mexico jury award her $2.7 million >> our thanks to ellison barber for that report. the snyder era is officially over for the washington commanders the sale was approved for $6 billion. the league released details from a second outside investigation which found that snyder had sexually harassed a former team

employee as part of the deal, snyder agreed to pay a $60 million fine the new owners include magic johnson. coming up later on "early today," we'll sit downe nba legend the countdown is on for team usa to kick off their world cup campaign they are in new zealand ahead of the first match of the tournament they are looking to become the first nation in men or women's teams to win three straight world cups they will be taking on vietnam, a country in their first world cup ever at 9:00 p.m. eastern tonight. it is another day of coast-to-coast weather warnings. while the mid atlantic and northeast are bracing for storms we sound like a broken record and records may still be broken. and michelle grossmann is tracking everything. >> different day, same story

we'll see the heat continuing once again the west coast, to the southwest, across the south as well 73 million americans under a heat warning temperatures will climb once again into the triple digits we're also watching the chance for storms in many, many spots across the country, one being in the mid atlantic the chance for renewed flooding there and parts of the tennessee valley nat valley into the koournls we're looking at the chance of winds gusting over 60 miles per hour could see hail and the chance of a tornado or two as far as temperatures go, we are sweltering once again in the southeast. records will be broken once again into the upper 90s in parts of orlando again in the south.

89 in d.c. all right, so the weather stories continues. but we're going to take a look at the weekend forecast to see if anything changes. we're back in 60 seconds to look at the inspiration behind "oppenheimer" and comic-con kicking off without t a star in sisight. how it's i impacting f fans and franchchises of acting fans and franchises of i run it daily. weekdaysys... weekendsds... sometimes after a big snack. you might t think thatat's wastefeful, but itit's not. 'cause evenen half loadads use % less w water than n handwashi. saving up p to $130 a a year onon utilitieses. and with cascade platinum plusus, you justst... scrape. . load. donene. so next titime you're e waitig to run i it, jujust run it.t. dare to didish difffferently. ♪ ♪ irresistibibly smooth h chocol.

to put thehe world on n paus. lindndor. madede to melt y you. by thehe lindt masaster chocolo. some luxuxury creamsms just s sit on top p of skin. but olayay goes 10 surfacece layers dedeep. our clinicically prproven hydraration beats s the $500 c cream. our clinicically prproven hydraration to strengtgthen my skikin for smoooother, brighter r results. to strengtgthen my skikin yourur best skinin yet. olay.. okay, the weekend of barben-heimer is officially on us "barbie" and "oppenheimer" hit theaters today our noah pransky sat down with "oppe "oppenheimer's" biographer >> reporter: the fission-filled story of the united states

top-secret effort to develop the first atomic bomb during world war ii >> i know what it means fort nazis have a bomb. >> reporter: the big question, how will "oppenheimer" resonate in today's world the story is about the physicist who led the manhattan project as well as nuclear wednesday after that we're talking about cold war, the atomic arms race, the mccarthy era >> he was brought down, humiliated in a secret kangaroo court security hearing >> reporter: he says the scientist's life story is still rell relevant in modern times russia raising the nuclear stakes >> we're still worrying about vladimir putin's not-so-veiled threats to use tactical nuclear wednesday.

>> reporter: those threats have increased anxieties with the majority of americans now worried about nuclear war again. and recognize this the doomsday clock introduced by oppenheimer and his former colleagues in the '40s to warn us how close we are to nuclear war >> they feared they could destroy life on earth as we know it >> reporter: in january they moved the clock closer than ever to doomsday. >> it is now 90 seconds to midnight >> science continues to move incredibly quickly but there's no appetite nationally or globally for managing t these risks >> reporter: now as the world battles additional risks like extreme climate and rapid technological changes, oppenheimer's legacy is again in the spotlight. >> he was painfully aware that science cannot be stopped. so this is a lesson to our contemporary debate over climate change, over artificial intelligence >> reporter: and just like the nuclear scientists pushing for reforms, many of ai's top

innovators are sounding the alarm, too, calling for a pause on that technology >> what i'm talking about is the existential threat of this kind of digital intelligence taking over from biological intelligence and that's much like it was with nuclear weapons. >> reporter: the man in charge of chatgpt warns congress about the dangers of his own tech. >> i think if this technology goes wrong it can go quite wrong. >> reporter: those worries prompting several co-founders of the company to create their own offshoot to create a safer, more ethical artificial intelligence. to berg, these highlight the need for a modern-day oppenheimer. >> we need scientists like oppenheimer who are articulate and can explain to us in plain english the choices that we are facial >> repo facing >> reporter: noah pransky, nbc news still to come.

cable or streaming we have the dish on what america is watching more and we'll open the pages of the e first t dave comomic-con w it's g getting on n amid the a strike getting o on amid thehe strikeke i started d cosentyx®®. fifive years c clear. i started d cosentyx®®. real peoeople with p psorias i started d cosentyx®®. look andnd feel betttter with cosenentyx. dodon't use ifif you're alallc toto cosentyx.x. bebefore startrting get chched fofor tubercululosis. dodon't use ifif you're alallc toto cosentyx.x. an i increased r risk of ininfection, s some seriouos and a a lowered abability toto fight thehem may occuc. tetell your dodoctor abouout an infecection oror symptoms s or if you u d a vaccinine or plan n to. tell y your doctoror if your r crohn's didisease oror symptoms s or if you u d a vaccinine or plan n to. symptoms d develop or r wors. oror symptoms s or if you u d a vaccinine or plan n to. serious s allergic r reactin may occur.r. best move e i've ever r m. serious s allergic r reactin may occur.r. ask yourur dermatolologist about t cosentyx®. bubug spray woworks best.... whwhen your fafamily acactually weaears it. ♪♪ get odor-f-free eieight hour p protectionn from mosququitoes and d tics without ththe ick. zevo o on-body repepellent. people lovove it. bugsgs hate it..

getting this? water doesn't have to be boring. with over 40 delicious flavors, cirkul starts a party for your tastebuds. no sugar, no calories and no artificial flavors. just good times. try cirkul, available now at walmart.t. ♪♪♪ (mmm) ♪♪♪ (mmm) ♪♪♪ (hmm) ♪♪♪ (m(mmmhmm) ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ milk c chocolate b beyond wo. clasassic recipepe by li. latetely, my s skin seems s dry and sesensitive. mymy dermatolologist recomommd all free c clear for m my laun. it's freree of dyess and peperfumes, for r a clean that's g gentle on s skin. if it totouches my s , i i clean it w with alall free clelear the e number onene brand recommendeded by dermamatologi. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches i i clean it w with in your hands or feet?lear try nervive nerve relief from the world's number one nerve care company. nervive contains ala to relieve nerve aches, and b-complex vitamins to fortify healthy nerves.

try nervive. and, try nervive pain relieving roll-on.

we've got your break down on the latest in trends and entertainment, starting with san diego comic-con. tens of thousands were on the showroom floor for the convention's first day the actors strike fog e cancellation of several high-profile panels, but fans still want that merch and memorabilia. >> people line up first thing in the morning to get tickets to come in to purchase it it's such a big deal >> the fun continues at the comic-con through sunday i think it was pretty refreshing to the organizers that even without the star power, tens of thousands of people still showed up >> you can get the energy feeding off each other now to new data that says streaming services passed cable as america's most-used platform for television

apps like amazon prime and netflix account for 30% of all viewing compared to 31% for traditional cable. it has been a rapid rise for streamers. just years ago, it captured 26%. i remember this whole discussion of cutting the cord. now it's like the best thing i've ever done >> and came at the same time that 6 million new people signed up for netflix from tv to the movies where amc is dropping plans for a tiered pricing system based on where you sit in the theater, they tested the strategy in february. they found that moviegoers still chose seats they liked even if the prices were higher amc says the change comes in part to make sure their ticket prices stay competitive. >> it is strategic you've got to geget perfecect t fofor the e full expererience. itit's a almost ththe weeke. mimichelle hasas your forerecasr the e break. h has your foforecr ththe break. -of-its-kikind, once-dailyly pill for moderarate-to-sevevere plaqueue psoriasisis for the chchance at clclear oror almost clclear skin..

itit's like ththe feelingg of findiding your baback... is b back. or findingng psoriasisis can't t deny the s splendor of these t thighs. ly sotyks prov to ge peopope clearerer skin than the l leading pilill. don't takeke if you'rereergicc ly sotyks prov to ge peopope to sotot; serious s reactions s can occ. don't takeke if you'rereergicc u can n loweurur abilie to figs to sotot; inclclg tb.. ses ininfens, , cancers inining lymphomama, le problemems, anand change certainin labsha. ses ininfens, , cancers inining lymphomama, teouour doctor i iu haveve an ition, liver or k kidney proboblems, high triglglycerides,, ad a a vaccine o or plan sotyktu u is a tyk2 2 inhibit. liver or k kidney proboblems, high triglglycerides,, tyk2 is s pa ofof t. it's n nnown i if sotyktuu s ththe same risisks asast findnd wplaqaque psoriasasis has bebeen hiding.g. ask yoyour dermatotologist abt sotytyktu for clclearer skin. so cleararly you. sosotyktu. looking for a bladder leak pad that keeps you dry? all of the thingngs that you're looooking for i in a p, thatat is alwaysys discreet. lolook at how w it absorbss all ofof the liquiuid. and lolocking it right onon in! you u feel no wewetness. - oh my gogosh! - - totally ababsorbed!

i got t to get somome alwaysys discreet!t! wantnt more fromom your vitat? get more e with naturure's bou. - oh my gogosh! - - totally ababsorbed! from the f first-ever r tripe action s sleep supplplement.. to d daily digesestive suppop. to more wellness solutioions evevery day. get more e with naturure's bou. for your m most brilliliant sm, crest hahas you covevered. ♪♪ (lauaugh ninice smile, , brad. nice! (lauaugh thanks? crest 3d w white. 100% m more stain n removal. crest. listen, , your deododorant just hasas to work.. i use secrcret aluminunum f. listen, , your deododorant just hasas to work.. just swiwipe and it lasasts all dayay. secrcret helps e eliminate o , instead d of just mamasking. and hoururs lawipe i ststill smfresh. dayay. secrcret helps e eliminate o , instead d of just mamasking. secretet works! hhhh yesss

♪ did yoyou kn0%0%women n are ststling w with d damage? dryness s anizz that keeoming back, could be d damaged haiair thatat can't retetain moistut. you neededantenene's miraclee rescue d deep condititioner. it's fililwith p pro-vitam to h help hair l loc moioistur, with no weweigh-down.. guguaranteed,, or your r money backck. for hair t that looks s healty and stayays healthy.y. if you knonow, you knonow it's's pantene.. my most t importantt kikitchen toolol? my brarain. so i i choose neneuriva plus. ununlike some e others, so i i choose neneuriva plus. neuriva plplus is a mumultitar supportingng 6 key indndicas neuriva plplus is a mumultitar of brarain health.h. to helelp keep me e sharp. of brarain health.h. neuriviva: think b bigger. welcome back on this friday. we're going to start with good

news really nice weather in parts of the northeast, mid atlantic. showers left over in northern hu new england. and enduring heat continues into the west and lots of sunshine in the inner mountain west. as we go throughout sunday, a really pleasant day, more downpours along the gulf coast >> sounds very familiar. a softball league in virginia encourageges seniniorso playay ball. meet thehe team. plplay ball. meet t the team. i don'n't. new w cascade plplatinum plus hahas me doingng dishes.... differerently. scrub? soaoak? nope. i just scrcrape, loadd and i'i'm done. only plalatinum plusus is bigigger. with doublble the dawnwn greae fightingng power and dodouble the scrubbbbing power.r. for a no rewash clean... and a cabinet ready shine. rewash? not in my house. upupgrade to n new cascacae platatinum plus.s. dare to o dish diffeferently. ♪ ♪

upupgrade to n new cascacae irresistibibly smooth h chocol. to put thehe world on n paus. lindndor. madede to melt y you. by thehe lindt masaster chocolo. trtry killing g bugs the worrrry-free wayay. not t the other r way. zevovo traps usese light not t the other r way. to attttract and t trap flying i insects not t the other r way. with no ododor and no o m. not t the other r way. they work k continuoususly, soso you don''t haveve to. zevo. soso you don''t haveve to. people-fririendly. soso you don''t haveve to. bug-dedeadly. a slow-pitch softball league in charlottesville, virginia is amazing people one swing at a time the retreads is a team of 55 and

up with a passion for sports we show you how the team enjoys their golden years >> come on softball people, let's do this! >> reporter: it is a beautiful summer morning on the diamond. there are lots of hits and lots of laughs. in this slow-pitch softball game >> opportunity to get outside and exercise and run around, be a little kid again >> reporter: the league is called the charlottesville retreads the players are all over 55 years old. >> i've had people tell me, you're still playing ball? yes, i am. i'm going to play as long as i can. >> i'm going to be famous! >> reporter: they play twice a week >> it's my absolute joy. avenue tuesday and thursday i wake up, i'm so excited. i have my place to go. i have my friends to see >> reporter: the goal is to have fun and be social. and it's a great way to stay active >> probably today i'd say we got, yeah, we got 7,000 steps already. >> reporter: that's what it's

all about, right >> that's what it's all about, keep busy, keep active >> reporter: they are both 86 years old. >> i'm so old they might not even let me play >> it's fun with these guys, and it makes me ge me get out.t out. >> reporter: there are a half-dozen ladies. >> everybody want to win and get on base any way they can and talk a lot of trash. >> reporter: the league was started in 2002. >> you can't sit on the couch when you're older. and if you're fortunate enough to be able to run around in your 70s and 80s, this is a good place to be. >> reporter: the games last about a lauer and a half there are only been a few minor injuries through the years the players say it's a blast >> go bobby, go bobby, go! >> i'm feeling so happy that i can go on and maybe like bobby,

i can play till i'm 86 >> keep playing as long aski >> i want to be like them when i grow up. >> i really hope so. yes, when we grow up if you think you're seeing double you're right. men who resemble ernest hemingway gathered in key west, florida. it took place at sloppy joe's bar and a highlight of the festival in memory of the beloved writer the second round of competition is set for today, his 124th birthday >> how do you judge? the beard, themount of a

right now at 5:00, taking the