former president donald trump says it was his decision to challenge the 2020 election results. we've got the exclusive interview, how that moment could derail the former president's legal battle five americans detained in iran could be free by the end of today. it is a complicated and controversial process. we're breaking down what it will take to bring these men home

british comedian russell brant accused of rape, sexual assault, and abuse he's denying the accusations laid out in a years-long investigative report we've got the details and his response mustache, comb, and brand piano. the iconic items tied to freddie mercury's auction. the high school cheer leader now able to join her classmates and teammates in the stands all thanks to one small change her high school made "early today" starts right now good early monday morning. i'm jessica layton >> glad you could be with us i'm frances rivera it was my decision that's what the republican frontrunner is now saying about his decision to challenge the 2020 election results. in a new wide-ranging interview with "meet the press" moderator kristen welker, former president donald trump weighed in on everything from his party's stance on abortion to his numerous legal battles, and those fights could be

complicated by his refusal to back down from his stance on the election nbc's monica alba has more >> reporter: former president trump facing new scrutiny for comments made on "meet the press" with nbc's kristen welker, that he made up his own mind to spread the false claim that the 2020 election was rigged, an assertion legal experts say could undercut any defense strategy that would lay the blame on his lawyers >> you called some of your outside lawyers, you said they had crazy theories why were you listening to them were you listening to them because they were telling you what you wanted to hear? >> you know who i listen to myself i saw what happened. i watched that election and i thought the election was over at 10:00 in the evening >> you were listening to your instincts? >> my instincts are a big part of it. that's gotten the thing to where i am but i also listen to many people >> were you calling the shots, mr. president? >> ultimately, as to whether or not i believed it was rigged sure it was my decision but i listened to some people.

>> reporter: on abortion access, the republican frontrunner wouldn't say whether he would sign a 15-week federal ban while calling out his primary rival florida governor ron desantis' position >> i would sit down with both sides and negotiate something and we'll end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years i'm not going to say i would or i wouldn't desanctous is willing to sign a five-week and six-week ban >> would you support that? >> i think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake. >> reporter: with just days until government funding runs out, mr. trump endorsing a possible shutdown. >> i'd shut down the government if they can't make an appropriate deal, absolutely >> reporter: "meet the press" also extended an invitation to president biden, who responded to the republican impeachment effort against him for the first time publicly. lots of luck, he said. monica alba, nbc news, the white house. >> and with just two weeks left to prevent that government shutdown, house republicans on sunday introduced a bill that

would keep the government open until the end of october this includes an 8% cut in domestic spending, as well as many of the provisions in a previous hard-line immigration bill speaking on fox news on sunday, house speaker kevin mccarthy said a shutdown would only give strength to the democrats. it is unclear whether mccarthy will be able to rally his caucus around the latest bill ken pax ton was reinstated as texas attorney general after he was acquitted on 16 impeachment articles by the state senate on saturday all but two republican senators voted to clear paxton of cluption and bribery charges, following a trial that lasted just under two weeks after the verdict was handed down, the lieutenant governor criticized the texas house for rushing paxton's impeachment and calls for reforms to the process. an attorney for paxton said the a.g. is ready and excited to get back to work in iran, five americans detained could be heading home today as part of a high-stakes prisoner swap.

the deal would also return five iranians that are detained here in the u.s. and unfreeze $6 billion in iranian money. here's nbc's josh lederman >> reporter: five americans in prison for years in iran are on the verge of freedom the u.s. agreeing to release five the americans include the following. the two other americans haven't been identified. >> my father has lost six years of his life with us. >> reporter: iran's president raisi telling lester holt they were treated humanely. >> are they healthy, are they well >> translator: yes, they are very healthy >> reporter: the deal follows more than a year of secretive talks through mediators. much of it in qatar. two diplomats telling nbc news the iranians and americans never came face to face. each step carefully choreographed.

first the iranians will confirm the 6 billion has been transferred. then the american detainees will be flown roughly two hours from iran to qatar. it's unclear where they'll go next the biden administration insists iran can only use the 6 billion on humanitarian goods like food and medicine with u.s. officials approving each transaction but president raisi disputing that >> translator: humanitarian means what do the iranian people need >> iran is not going to release these american citizens out of the goodness of their heart. that is not real life. >> reporter: the united states hasn't said what will happen to these american detainees once they leave qatar but if past prisoner exchanges are any guide, they are likely to undergo extensive medical evaluations organized by the u.s. government. a long road ahead to recovery. >> josh, thank you

this morning law enforcement officers in pennsylvania are searching for nine juvenile who's escaped from a detention center local law enforcement tells nbc news the group escaped around 8:00 p.m. last night after a riot this is unfolding right now just northwest of philadelphia in berks county it's worth noting berkes county borders chester county where danelo cavalcante evaded police officers after almost two weeks after escaping prison. two people have been arrested after a child died at a daycare in new york city "the new york times" is reporting the owner of the daycare and her tenant are facing multiple charges including murder after a 1-year-old boy died of suspected exposure to fentanyl three other children from that center were hospitalized including a 2-year-old boy who right now is in critical condition. the daycare was run out of a home in the bronx where officials say they found a tool that is commonly used to package large amounts of drugs this investigation is ongoing. five people were hurt in a

shooting in downtown denver late saturday night police are still searching for suspects and say all of the victim bes are expected to survive. that incident marked the 500th mass shooting in the u.s. so far this year. the archive logs any shooting where four or more people are hurt, not including the shooter. this could mark the fourth year in a row where the united states see at least 600 shootings that meet that definition 2021 had the highest number of mass shootings ever recorded, with 689 reported that year. drew barrymore is delaying her controversial return to daytime tv after a week of backlash, she's now rolling back her decision to resume production on her cbs talk show. she issued the apology yesterday saying the show would not return after the walkouts end -- until after the walkouts end. fans, celebrities and organizations like the national book foundation expressed their disappointment with barrymore

last week. other programs like "the talk" and jennifer hudson are also now pressing pa u.s. on their return the east coast waking up to wet roads as we drive into work and school drop-off. our nbc meteorologist is tracking when those storms could be moving out. hey, bill, welcome back. >> hey, good morning, great to see you guys everyone on the east coast can't complain too much because we had a great weekend. i know maine took it on the chin along with our friends in nova skokomisha now we're waking up to the soaking rain d.c. is not too bad. but it is pouring from philadelphia outside of new york, heading up towards hartford it will continue as we go throughout the day i do expect obviously slow on the road newark and laguardia will definitely have some delays especially early this morning with some downpours. the rain will linger unfortunately all day today and through tomorrow through portions of maine. so that could hinder a little bit for those people that are still trying to clean up from lee. so the week ahead forecast middle of the country is warm for the middle of september.

we could have some late-day thunderstorms into the evening in areas of oklahoma but you're fine during the daylight hours as we head towards tuesday, that storm threat will be ending here into a new storm comes into the west. the east coast looks fine in the middle of the week but towards theend of the week, another storm could be developing we're going to see really rough conditions friday, saturday, sunday keep that in mind if you have er forecast instead of the last week of summer dallas, 91 oklahoma city, 89. a lot of people will be happy in the south once we start getting some cooler temperatures it's about time. >> yeah, understood. thank you, bill. still ahead here on "early today," the white house flies out to motor city to help end the auto workers strike.

but first comedian russell brand slammed with accusations of sexual assault. we break down thinepe -dth report on the other side of this break. eling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ mr. clean magic eraser powers through tough messes. so it makes it look like i spent hours cleaning, and you know i didn't. it makes my running shoe look like new! it's amazing. it's so good. it makes it look like i have magical powers. magic eraser and sheets make cleaning look easy. ♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing, non-medicated vicks vapors. [exhales] easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick and try vaposhower for steamy vicks vapors. hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days.

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>> he pushed me up against the wall i'm, like, what are you doing? he's grabbing at my underwear pulling it to the side i'm telling him to get off me and he won't get off and he has that glazed look in his eye again. i was very distraught trying to get out of the house >> reporter: the documentary relies on a year-long joint british news investigation by the sunday times the times and channel 4 dispatches nbc has not independently confirmed the allegations. one of the women says she was 16 at the time, the minimum legal age for consent in the uk, and described in graphic detail being sexually assaulted by brand. brand hit mega star status in the u.s. playing a sexually obsessed character in 2008's "forgetting sarah marshall." >> dropped a shoe. seen it anywhere >> reporter: known for his talkative and flamboyant manner, brand often joked about sex and drugs. >> you know, sex is sort of a

hobby. >> reporter: his short-lived marriage to pop star katy perry ended in 2011. brand, now 48, denied the allegations and said his relationships have all been consensual >> amidst this litany of astonishing attack are some very serious allegations that i absolutely refute. these allegations pertain to the time when i was working in the mainstream when i was very, very proem istous now, during that time, the relationships i had were absolutely always consensual >> reporter: brand, who lives in the uk, has declined our request for comment. dana griffin, nbc news a passenger plane crashed in brazil's amazon rainforest killing all of the passengers on board. according to a local media report, the aircraft took off from the state capital of amazonus and was attempting to land in heavy rain when it went

down a team of white house economic officials will go to detroit this week to help resolve the strike between the united auto workers and the big three auto companies that began on friday. an administration official says white house adviser jean sperling and acting labor secretary julie su will lead the efforts trying to support negotiations between the parties. president biden has said he respects the choice of these striking auto workers, while also wishing for a return to the negotiating table. still to come, the dolphins and patriots played down to the wire on sunday night football. we'll break down the highlights. despite the win, alabama snapped the re tstakhey started back in 2015 she is 1 of 1." with new olay hyaluronic body wash 95% of women had visibly-better skin. "my skin is so much more moisturized." see the difference with olay. people are excited about what ai will do for them. we're excited about what ai will do for business. introducing watsonx

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a lot of picks will be forthcoming here and a time-out clock starts touchdown, tyreek hill >> we are back to break down the biggest stories in sports, starting with sunday night football in new england.

the patriots battled back and forth in the fourth quarter. but it was a little too late the dolphins put it away with a late hutch down, winning 24-17 gino smith's touchdown pass lifted the seahawks. and while the patriots are not used to that 0-2, last time they did that was 2001. >> they did turn it around in the end. i'm also going to shout out the giants for a pretty incredible comeback last night. so go new york over to the wnba playoffs where it was win or go home for the minnesota lynx the connecticut sun kept it close. but kayla mcbride kept them trailing 82-75, the final in vegas, the one-seed aces didn't have the same problem with the chicago sky asia wilson had 16 rebounds to go with her 38 points. and vegas moves on with a 92-70 win. these games, i'll tell you what.

i have never watched wnba so closely as i have this year. maybe it's these segments, but i am so into it. and there are more games tuesday night. >> and we are learning so much and seeing so much it's riveting to be able to watch these women on the court in college football, alabama is out of the ap top ten after a close game against south florida. the crimson tide won 17-3. it's the first time since september 2015 that they're not ranked in the top ten. the 128-week streak was the second longest ever. alabama's rival georgia still sits atop the poll a week after beating the crimson tide, texas comes in at number 3. >> another one again where very, very early in the season, but always exciting every weekend. still to come, a german landmark gets splattered with paint. >> what you need to know autbo the protest at brandenburg gate,

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exums. blap. a nevada air race turns deadly and the brandenburg gate gets a new coat of paint. here's what you need to know "early today." climate protesters sprayed orange paint onto the brandenburg gate in berlin on sunday 14 people were arrested. they're part of a group urging germany to stop using all fossil fuels by 2030. two pilots died when their planes crashed upon landing at an air-racing event in nevada. the ntsb and the faa are helping investigate what caused that collision. rolling stone magazine co-founder jann wenner was removed from the board of the rock and roll hall of fame after making disparaging comments toward black and female artists while promoting his book wenner amtioned for his comments and said he'd accept the consequences a collection of freddie mercury's outfits and belongings sold at auction over the weekend for over $50 million his mustache column and brand

piano were part of the 1,400 items that were up for sale. coming up after the break, we'll tell you about the conservation effort that is not too big, not too small, just right for these foraging bears stay with us you won't want to miss this cute video. just has to work. i use secret aluminum free. just swipe and it lasts all day. secret helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. and hours later, i still smell fresh. secret works! ohhh yesss. ♪♪ honey... honey... nyquil severe honey. powerful cold and flu relief with a dreamy honey taste. nyquil honey, the nighttime, sniffing, sneezing, couging, aching, fever, honey-licious, best sleep with a cold, medicine. [ "am:pm" by notd begins. ] fever, honey-licious, best sleep with a cold, when you can save on good & gather groceries in all the fall flavors. when quality ingredients bring more to the table. and when you're serving up taste they love at low prices.

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game >> was really cool >> reporter: for the first time, she was able to watch half time from the stands. >> we've been at this school now for this is the third year so it's been no ramps. we've been sitting on the track and she can't see the game from the track or the band halftime show so it was really cool to see that that was finally done. >> reporter: a new ramp was installed over the summer, and to make the bleachers more accessible for bailey and others with special needs, now she's able to take in all friday nights have to offer, including a sense of normalcy. >> it gives so much more independence too, like, hey, go and enjoy your stuff, you and your friends can go up there on your own without us and just hang out and it really gives that extra independence, especially with kids her age in high school. >> reporter: independence that brings a smile to bailey's face. is that pretty cool? >> yeah. >> reporter: it also makes her parents' planning much simpler >> it's so nice to be able to

come someplace and not have to worry about that or plan ahead or message them and be, like, where are we going to sit do, we have to bring our own chairs, are we even allowed to sit on the track close to the field >> just be able to watch the game never hurts >> reporter: for the district having equal accessibility was a priority >> one of those priority projects was making sure that we had a ramp installed at the high school stadium, as an upgrade in maintaining our facility >> reporter: no longer sidelined, bailey will continue cheering on her team, this time from a new vantage point >> our thanks to kelly marsh for sharing that story we'll be cheering on her as well, cheering the cheer leaders. >> and so happy for those parents as well to see your kid smiling and getting to be happy and like everybody else. bears at the alaskan wildlife conservation center donated on

veggies. every year record-break pumpkins, cabbage, squash, are all brought from across alaska to compete after the fair, though, rather than throw it out or find a really big recipe, the produce is donated to the conservation center for this barry fun event. >> i can't stop watching it, it's so great to see them feasting on that, and they're not going to waste thanks for starting your week with "early today. >> have a great monday we'll see you tomorrow

we are here to honor an absolutely wonderful man, and that's ryan. >> right now at 5:00, a deputy ambushed and killed in the line of duty. a look at the growing memorial in southern california, and what investigators say may be key to capturing his killer. sunday night