assault. american citizens and other foreigners evacuate the gaza strip as israel seeks to uproot

hamas. it could be the biggest blood bath yet in the plip territory. the house of representatives still doesn't have a speaker. who will take over after kevin mccarthy and will democrats intervene to stop the chaos? we will have the latest live from d.c. a full month after they walked off the job striking united auto workers talk to nbc news about their david and goliath fight against the big three car makers. we visit the picket line in wayne, michigan. an american institution goes under as drugstore chain rite aid files for bankruptcy. and taylor swift and her faithful have a record breaking weekend at the north american box office. it's a new week, monday, october 16th. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm phillip mena. >> glad you are with us, i'm frances rivera. this morning the world waits with bated breath as israel

could launch an invasion gaza at any moment. the one thing that could be postponing the military solution, the evacuation of citizens. >> let's go now to claudio lavanga following these developments for us. do we know how those evacuations are going? >> reporter: good morning. we all saw those reports that rafah crossing was supposed to open this morning about a couple of hours ago and there is no indication that that has happened yet. the reports said that they were going to open it to allow foreign citizens out, humanitarian aid in, and also reports that israel was going to observe a five-hear ceasefire at that time. none of that is happening because we got a statement from the gaza media office that they had no information from officials in egypt which control that crossing and blamed that information on what they call enemy media. also the office of the prime minister in israel denies that there is any ceasefire going on.

so that is probably all wishful thinking for now. what we know so far and for sure is that about 600,000 palestinians have moved so far from the north of gaza to the south of gaza, that is -- that information is coming from the israeli military and that is about half of the 1.1 million palestinians who have been instructed by israel to move from the north to the south. that journey is neither easy and certainly nearly safe. the palestinian authorities have accused israel of targeting with air strikes, convoys of vehicles of palestinians moving from north to the south on one of the two roads that have been deemed safe by israel, now the idf, israeli defense forces say simply that they respect international law and they take every precaution not to cause civilian harm, but civilians are being harmed and they are being killed every single day. now, the death toll from the

israeli side since the attack has stabilized at about 1,400, but the death toll in gaza is rising by the day. we are at 2,670 victims so far, but fear is that that death toll may spiral out of control if israel keeps true to the promise of carrying out a ground invasion with a coordinated attack by land, air and sea. phillip, frances? >> so far no confirmation of any passage to safety for all those wanting out. claudio, thank you. now to congress who will begin another week with no speaker of the house in sight. so far house republicans have been unable to unite around a replacement for kevin mccarthy who was ousted from the job nearly two weeks ago, but we could see new movement in this process soon. nbc's brie jackson joins us now from d.c. hi, brie. good morning. what can we expect this week in the race to find a house speaker?

>> reporter: good morning, frances. we could see a vote for house speaker as soon as tuesday. the house democratic whip sent out a notice saying that republicans are planning to hold the election tomorrow at noon but that does not mean that the gop nominee, jim jordan, has rallied enough support to win the job. jordan can only have four republican defects when it comes to a full house vote and when he was nominated friday more than 50 members of his party said they would not support him. on sunday's "meet the press" house minority leader hakeem jeffries said informal talks have been under way to try to find a bipartisan solution. he said democrats had not yet identified any specific republican that the party could get behind but did explain that democrats might ask for a potential deal. >> we want to ensure that votes are taken on bills that have substantial democratic support and substantial republican

support so that the extremists aren't able to dictate the agenda. >> reporter: and the pressure is on for the house to select a speaker, congress is needed to sign off on assistance to israel and ukraine and federal funding expires in mid-november so there is also the risk of a government shutdown on the horizon. lawmakers will turn to capitol hill today and both the republicans and democrats are expected to hold meetings tonight. frances? >> brie, thank you. republicans are set to take control of the louisiana governorship for the first time in nearly a decade. the state attorney general jeff landry was named the victor in an all-party contest on saturday earning over 51% of the vote in the 16-candidate race, enough to avoid a runoff election. landry who won the endorsement of several republicans including former president trump will succeed the term limited democratic governor john bel edwards.

edwards had served as executive of the deep red state since 2016. police are investigating the stabbing death of a 6-year-old outside of chicago as a possible hate crime. michigan authorities say landlord joseph suba killed the boy and seriously wounded his mother because they were muslim-palestinian americans in a suspected protest against the attack on israel. the chicago station said the child died from 76 stab wounds. his mother is expected to survive the attack. suba has been charged with hate crimes and first-degree murder. an inter staet near pueblo, colorado, was shut down overnight, drivers are asked to stay away after a bridge collapsed and a train derailed. the train car spilled coal all over the highway. the colorado state patrol were working to rescue the trapped truck driver. it is unclear what the condition is right now or if there were other drivers involved. the ntsb is sending investigators to the crash site.

two decades in prison and it's all thanks to covid relief funds. rick dougherty had been serving a life sentence a 1997 killing he claimed he did not commit. he used his pandemic relief check from the federal government to hire a federal investigator to look into his investigation. the investigate era long with students from oklahoma university were able to find inconsistencies in his case. the judge vacated his conviction in june. he is living with his son's family and says his case shows plenty of other people in the state are wrongfully convicted. americans from texas to nebraska might want to grab an extra layer before they head out this morning. frost and freeze alerts are stretching up the central plains. meteorologist michelle grossman is here tracking the cold for us. good morning. >> good morning. yeah, you may need the hats, gloves in some spots, spots above freezing this morning. it will be chilly all day from the rockies east, well below

normal for this time of year. starting out with frost and freeze alerts where you see this light pink color that's the frost advisories. selena, red oak, and the hot pink color down to dodge city. temperatures well below normal for this time of year, only in the 20s in north platte, 38 degrees in omaha, in the 40s in kansas city, also in oklahoma city, garden city below freezing at 30 degrees. chilly, too, as we head towards the east, st. louis 44 degrees. we will be cool today. we have an area of high pressure that's bringing some clear weather in the plains, that's bringing that cool weather, we have an area of low pressure keeping the breeze in place in the northeast, the great lakes, also portions of the tennessee valley. tours 10 to 15 degrees below what is typical for this time of year. even down to portions of the southeast, tallahassee today 69 degrees, that's 13 degrees below normal for this time of year. another chill day tomorrow, another cool day, crisp day,

starting off with some patchy areas of dense fog an increase in fog during the day. temperatures in the 70s for a s of sunshine in parts of the southern plains, 69 in new orleans. and that's your monday forecast. >> okay. thank you, michelle. "early today" is back in 60 seconds with an update on the auto workers strike. and a live report on the future of rite aid, what bankruptcy means for the drugstore chain. 12 hours!! not coughing? hashtag still not coughing?! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night. mucinex dm. it's comeback season. my skin has been so much smoother so much more hydrated. it's olay! with olay hyaluronic body wash 95% of women had visibly-better skin. and my skin is so much more moisturized. see the difference with olay. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? 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. hey guys, check it out: it's mrs. stevens. they say she can make things appear out of thin air. hey! you guys want to come in? my mom made dinner. make your table legendary, with country crock. day on the picket line. many members are eager to are your honor to work but they are making it clear that they are willing to continue to strike for the changes they're seeking. our detroit affiliate spoke to members on the picket line in wayne, michigan. >> i got bills to pay so i don't love being out here, but, you know, i have to think long term, it's my future, so, yeah, fair

wages sounds pretty good right now. >> reporter: as the one month mark strikes at the strike line uaw members are fatiguing, they want to get back to work but will stay here as long as necessary. >> we are all ready to go back to work, we're ready for a good deal but we will stay out here as long as we have to to get what we deserve. >> reporter: how long could the strike last? experts say there is no way to know. negotiations aren't going great and now ford is saying, at least ford of the big three, they are saying they have the best offer on the table and can't go any higher. on a media call a ford exec made it clear they are at the limit and cannot offer anymore. it likely won't be long before g mcgm stellantis say the same. the big three are planning huge investments in more ev infrastructure and plants. >> the thrust of the industry is to produce an ev at lower cost, not higher cost. that's been considered an upper

echelon vehicle and they wanted to sell to the masses so they can get the volume and profits from it. it puts them in a difficult situation. this whole march towards the evs which is not totally of their choice, is something that puts them in a strong vice. >> reporter: another hurdle experts say is the uaw asking to reinstate pensions. >> that's not a few billion dollars, that's literally tens and tens and tens of billions of dollars in additional money and liabilities. it would absolutely murder the stock prices, it would murder the financial health long term i think of these companies. it's just not feasible. >> reporter: but uaw members stand firm, saying their asks are for them and generation toss come. >> we are all good, we are just ready to go back to work. i mean, that's the ultimate goal, right? we want a good deal and are ready to go back to work. >> our thanks to nick for that report. drugstore chain rite aid has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. the company has faced slowing

sales coupled with a growing debt including major lawsuits that claim that the company contributed to america's opioid epidemic. cnbc's arabile gumede is joining us now. arabile, good morning. so what happens now? >> well, that's a very good question, right? now they're going to have to reschedule and relook at their entire operations in rite aid. they plenty much decided they're going to restructure significantly and reduce if not do away with certain locations and try to reconfigure the entity and business as a whole and try to see how best they can get sales out. doing this exercise will cost a lot of money so they have asked a few investors as well to continue to add more funding so what they have actually gotten is that lenders agreed to provide them with $3.45 billion us dollars in new funding to provide what is called sufficient liquidity as it evolves from this restructuring plan. it's mounting debt levels, the fact that they were said to be involved in increasing america's

opioid epidemic then as well and slowing sales overall have been quite a big factor for them. it has hurt significantly and this chapter 11 bankruptcy means that the assets from now will not be attached to any mounting debt, but it does mean they have to restructure and restructure quickly. >> and that could mean closing some stores. a lot of people relying on rite aid that they live near for their prescriptions. arabile, thank you so much. still to come, the eras tour here, yeah, are you ready for it, shattering records on the screen. we break down the weekend in enrtnmt clinmoteaieninudg vie theaters across the country entering their swiftie era. ( ♪ ♪ ) scared of a little blood? dr. garcia? whoa! crest reality checkup. bleeding gums are serious, jamie.

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taylor swift had theaters to herself this weekend with her big reputation scaring off all other new releases, the film err of the of the eras tour opened with a $96 million tour, the highest grossing concert film of all time, "the exorcist" believer and "paw patrol" placed two and three respectively. anybody who could not make it to her many shows were going to go to this and i know you went. you had a chance to go to both. >> i had a chance to go to both and i'm ready to watch the movie again. out of the circle of my daughter's friends we only saw it once over the weekend, they saw it multiple times this weekend. this will stay in theaters for quite a bit, everybody on their feet, dancing, singing, the friendship bracelets. >> so nobody sits down for this movie. >> some people do but everybody is singing along. >> sounds like fun. taylor swift's weekend of dominance continued on the season premiere of "snl."

she made a surprise appearance to introduce musical guest i spice. they collaborated, they are friends. there was this quick cameo from her boyfriend, they were holding hands this weekend, travis kelce. former cast member pete davidson made his long awaited return to 8 h. he spoofed his personal and relationship drama with a parody of i'm just ken from the barbie movie appropriately called i'm just pete. this was historical. he made so much sfun of himself i think it was a way of "snl" to come back and come back strong. that nfl sketch with travis and taylor swift as the topic was so funny, it was hysterical. >> i think pretty much he was only on the screen for a few seconds but that's all we needed to keep all that excitement going. this morning we are remembering a sitcom legend. suzanne somers. she rose to stardom in the 1970s as christy snow on abc's

"three's company." she ended up getting fired in 1981 after demanding to be paid as much as male tv stars that have era. while the cause of her death is not yet clear somers had been fighting an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 20 years. she would have turned 77 years old today. unfortunate news to pass along with morning. ed> when we come back what you ne to know about changes coming to new york's natural history museum. this is a hot flash. but this is a not flash. ♪ i got a good feeling ♪ there's big news for women going through menopause. veozah - a prescription treatment for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms - the medical name for hot flashes and night sweats. with hormone-free veozah, you can have fewer hot flashes, and more not flashes. veozah is proven to reduce the number and severity of hot flashes, day and night. for some women, it can start working in as early as one week. don't use veozah if you have cirrhosis,

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a georgia man was issued a $1.4 million speeding ticket. he got a super speeder ticket going 90 in a 55. the city of savannah says this was a placeholder amount before his court date. country superstar reba mcentire is being honored using corn in north carolina. this reba themed corn maze was unveiled east of charlotte. a weekend of clips and e at ons looking to the sky to seth incredible event. next. it's mrs. stevens. they say she can make things appear out of thin air. hey! you guys want to come in? my mom made dinner. make your table legendary, with country crock. ma, ma, ma— ( clears throat ) for fast sore throat relief, try vicks vapocool drops. with two times more menthol per drop, and powerful vicks vapors to vaporize sore throat pain. vicks vapocool drops. vaporize sore throat pain. ♪ on your period, sudden gushes happen.

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>> reporter: across the u.s. a stunning image that north america has witnessed only five times this millennium. >> i mean, it doesn't look real. i didn't think i would cry. >> reporter: the annular solar eclipse or ring of fire happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth creating a fiery orange ring around the moon's shadow. >> it's literally just this perfect ring and it's glowing, it's radiant. i feel like i will be dreaming about this for weeks to come. >> i was thinking of a song "ring of fire." >> reporter: depending on clear skies and location -- >> wow, this is a perfect ring of fire. it's just so crisp. >> reporter: -- you likely got to see images like these from cloudy skies in idaho to valley of the god's utah and the state aquarium in corpus christi, texas. >> in one particular location on earth it's 375 years between eclipses so it's rare that a person gets to experience it in their lifetime in their specific

location. nowhere else in the solar system do you get these types of eclipses. >> reporter: people driving hundreds of miles to get the best view. >> we drove like nine hours and we had to take a day off of work, but we decided that it was worth it. >> reporter: in los angeles, even a partial eclipse drew in a crowd, many arriving hours early to get the best seats in down at the griff et observatory. >> it's a mob, happy mob that's engaged with the cosmos. >> reporter: no matter the age -- >> it's a cool sight to see. >> reporter: -- viewers were over the moon. it's 9:24 a.m. in los angeles, maximum eclipse making the skylightly darker, if you have the right equipment or glasses, the view is pretty spectacular. >> reporter: because the sun is never fully covered observers must wear proper eye protection. >> what did you think? >> this was phenomenal. with he were in total eclipse in 2017 in wyoming, it was one of the best things we have ever done so the partial eclipse is

something we are not going to miss. >> reporter: if you miss this had eclipse, no worries, that total eclipse which will create complete darkness like in 2017 will occur in six months. in the u.s. ideal viewing locations will a span from texas to maine. >> this is a precursor to the big one coming to april. a little training for her. >> reporter: excitement already building for an experience out of this world. dana griffin, nbc news, los angeles. fantastic images there. >> super cool. all right. want to take this opportunity, it is national bosses day. we want to shout out to neil our we want to shout out to neil our boss othisn s ♪ ♪ ♪

hundreds of thousands of civilians rush to evacuate gaza as the world watches israe