kamala harris in the spotlight. the vice president taking center stage as the democratic national convention kicks off in chicago.

how she is aiming to build on her momentum in the polls and why thousands of protesters are already gathering for demonstrations. breaking overnight. can the u.s. help strike a deal to end the war in gaza? we're live with the 11th hour talks after secretary of state antony blinken arrived in israel, trying to negotiate a ceasefire. trouble on the tracks. the railroad labor dispute in canada that could upend border trade with the u.s. and wreak havoc on the supply chain. a nationwide sweep to find hundreds of missi ing kids. how u.s. marshals pulled off this ambitious operation. and the layup for caitlin clark as she makes history again. the new record for the wnba superstar. it's monday, august 19th. "early today" starts right now. and good morning. i'm richard lui. vice president kamala harris setting to formally accept her

party's nomination this week as the democratic national convention kicks off in chicago. the dnc released its party platform overnight which was approved before president biden dropped out of the race. the 90 page document emphasizes the party's top issues including the economy and strengthening democracy. tonight president biden will pass the torch to his own running mate in his keynote speech at the dnc. he is expected the make the case why vice president harris is in the best position to defeat former president donald trump. our aaron gilchrist has a preview. >> governor tim walz and their spouses rolling out their new campaign bus in the suburbs of pittsburgh, stopping first at a phone bank. >> how you doing, hannah? >> reporter: the team making stops in politically opposite counties. allegheny, union rich and solidly blue, and beaver, a blue collar county that former president trump won in 2016 and 2020.

the harris campaign believes it can make some inroads. a poll shows harris with a f four-point lead over trump, besting biden's position in the same pole last month. >> when you know what the stand for, you know what to fight for. >> reporter: as harris tries to promote policy ideas -- >> when you stand for working people, you fight for working people. when you stand for freedom, whether it be to make decision about your own body or love who you love, you fight for those things. >> reporter: trump also in pennsylvania saturday night, speaking for more than an hour with a focus on personal attacks over policy comparisons. >> they said no, her biggest advantage is she is a beautiful woman. huh, i never thought of that. i'm better looking than she is. >> reporter: trump releasing a plan to barnstorm battleground states each day of the dnc. senator lindsey graham on "meet the press" urging him to focus

on policy. >> if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. donald trump, the provocateur, the showman may not win this election. >> aaron gilchrist, thank you for that report. security is tight in hickenlooper this morning ahead of the dnc protesters already taking to the streets last night to try to send a message to politician, demanding action on everything from reproductive rights and an end to the israel-hamas war. our shaquille brewster has a look at how they're praying for the protests this week. >> reporter: chicago's guard is already up, fencing lining the streets, roads closed off to vehicles. a large protective zone built around the united center where vice president harris is set to accept the democratic nomination for president. and just like at the republican convention in milwaukee, secret service responsible for everything inside that hardened perimeter. the local police taking charge of everything else. >> is the chicago police

department ready? >> i said it for a while. the chicago police department is ready. saying there are no credible threats but to expect a huge police presence throughout the city. >> the city as a whole is used to working toward something this large. >> reporter: looming over the convention is the promise of large scale protests blocks from the united center. >> this is one of the streets we'll be on, yes. >> reporter: despite months of legal battles over the protest area, the largest demonstration is expected to draw more than 20,000 people. one of the lead organizers preparing to voice his opposition to israel's war in gaza. what's the main message for you guys? >> yeah, the main message is that the democrats who are going to be in that building are complicit in this war against the palestinian people. >> reporter: police superintendent larry snelling says his officers received special training focused on de-escalation and respecting constitutional rights, but

warned violent themes reminiscent of the 1968 democratic convention will not be tolerated. >> do we want to have fights in the streets with people? absolutely not. i want to make one thing clear. i want to make this perfectly clear. we need to know the difference between rioting and protesting. >> reporter: a city that says it's prepared for any situation. shaquille brewster, nbc news, chicago. secretary of state antony blinken is meeting with israel's prime minister in israel this morning. it comes after two days of talking in qatar trying to end the war in gaza. crucially, no representatives from hamas attended. the group put out a statement saying israel is imposing unacceptable new conditions. in the meeting this morning, blinken said this might be the last chance to secure a ceasefire and get the hostages home. let's go claudio lavanga who is following this story for us this morning. claudio, good morning to you. what are the israelis saying? >> good morning, richard.

well, first of all, let's see what hamas is saying. they posted a statement on instagram essentially accusing netanyahu of continuing to put obstacles to the ceasefire for the reasons because they want to prolong the war, such as, for instance, rejecting the complete withdrawal from gaza or the permanent ceasefire or insisting that israel should continue to control the philadelphia corridors as well as the rafah crossing, all conditions that hamas has always said it's not willing and will not accept. now the philadelphia corridor is in the south of gaza, and israel says they want to control it even after the war is ended because they want to prevent smuggling from there, from egypt into gaza. also, the nazarene corridor is an area that cut gaza in two. and israel wants to continue to control it to prevent armed men

going from the south to the north of gaza. now on the other hand, netanyahu is accusing hamas of delaying the ceasefire, but saying it is refusing the latest deal. it didn't stand, as you mentioned. it's represent alternative doha. this is a blame game that has been going on since the start of negotiations. it just continues. and the latest ceasefire and to prolong the war while people are still dying, according to health authorities on sunday. an israeli air strike killed 29 people, including quintuplets just as secretary of state antony blinken, as you mentioned, is arrived, was arriving in israel to continue in his efforts to seal that deal. richard? >> nbc's claudio lavanga, thank you so much for that report. a labor dispute at canada's two largest railroads could impact cross-border trade. canadian pacific kansas city and canadian national are already starting to shut down some services. both companies have extensive networks in the united states. they are threatening to lockout

teamsters canada workers if a deal is not reached by thursday. a prolonged work stoppage could severely disrupt supply chains. former congressman george santos is expected to plead guilty today to multiple charges related to campaign finance fraud. let's according to two sources familiar with the matter. the disgraced republican was set to go on trial in less than a month. he had previously pleaded guilty to all charges. a lawyer for santos did not return our request for comment. it was a weekend of dangerous and severe weather across the country. in the east coast, beaches, for instance, were closed as ernesto, now a category 1 hurricane again, triggered life-threatening rip currents. at least two people drowned in south carolina. in north carolina, emergency crews performed nearly 30 ocean rescues while connecticut saw torrential rain and flash flooding. more than 80 million americans are still at risk for extreme weather, rain, wind, flooding, or excessive heat in the case of the southern united states. and then in the tropics, ernesto

leaving behind a trail of destruction, and bermuda and puerto rico have begun a massive cleanup effort as well. before the latest goes straight to nbc meteorologist michelle grossman, good morning to you, michelle. what can people expect today? >> good morning, richard. great to see you. we'll expect more of the same. ing so along the east coast. as a cold front tapping into profile moisture. also looking at rough beach conditions along the east coast this week. and also looking at really steamy conditions in the south. we're looking at dangerous heat, temperatures into the triple-digits. let's start with radar this morning because we're looking at heavy rain falling in parts of the northeast, especially in parts of connecticut, rhode island into new york, long island. we're looking at the eastern part, looking at heavy rain. we had flooding conditions. we're going see that with this slow moving system. this is why. this is a cold front that is going to continue to move slowly off to the east. today, tomorrow tap booing the tropical moisture, bringing the chance for really heavy

rainfall, and the chance for flash flooding throughout new england and into the northeast also in parts of the midatlantic. that's one story. the second is the steamy south 30 million people impacted by heat alerts. we have heat advisories, warnings. dallas, you're included there. temperatures into the triple-digits once again, feeling like 109n ne iw s steam the south. pumping temperatures into the triple-digits. all right. that's your monday forecast. >> thank you, michelle. a 12-foot bronze statue of civil rights icon congressman john lewis now stands out the courthouse in dekalb county, georgia. it replaces a confederate monument that was there over a century until a judge ordered its removal in 2020. the new statue honors lewis'

legacy as a leader, a giant of the civil rights movement and a long-time atlanta representative. the statue will be officially unveiled on august 24th. lewis passing away in july 2020 from pancreatic cancer. coming up, caitlin clark makes history again in the wnba. but first, we're back in a minute with a nationwide effort to track down hundreds of missing children. zevo traps. zevo works 24/7 to attract and trap flying insects. for effortless protection. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. we all need fiber for our digestive health, but less than 10% of us get enough each day. good thing metamucil gummies are an easy way to get prebiotic, plant-based fiber. with the same amount of fiber as 2 cups of broccoli. metamucil gummies. the easy way to get your daily fiber. skincare can start in the laundry room. that's why i always recommend all free clear for sensitive skin. it's free of dyes and perfumes. it's a key part of my self care routine.

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to find missing children across the country. >> a lot of these kids are -- so those are kids that have run away, and they basically act like fugitives. we do a lot of the same things that we do to find fugitives to find these kids. that involves social media, that involves computers, that involves old-fashioned police work, knocking on doors, talking to people, talking to friends, talking to family. >> copy. 13 miles, 23 minutes. >> reporter: we got exclusive access to a marshals' task force as they look for children in new york city. their first stop, the bronx, to find a missing 13-year-old. >> what do we know about her? is she at risk? >> she's at risk from all of the information i've seen coming out of west new york-new jersey there's potential for sex trafficking. >> reporter: it's 7:05, and the marshals are at the location. they surround the area, go in, but no luck. >> they're being told that she is not here right now. >> she has a yellow dress on and she was on the train. >> reporter: the marshals say if they stay, she won't come back

here. >> we're leaving some surveillance teams here to see if she comes back. >> reporter: next, across town and another missing teen. it's 10:45 and the u.s. marshals have surrounded an apartment building here in brooklyn where they think a 17-year-old girl is inside who may have been the victim of sex trafficking, but they need to keep a low profile. >> we're just trying to stay out of view because they look out the windows and see all of us, so we have to stay out of the way here future a second. >> reporter: a few minutes later, success. it's almost 11:00 a.m. and the marshals think they've recovered the 17-year-old girl they were looking for here today. they just put her in that car. >> she's off the streets and she will be some place safe. >> reporter: over the six weeks of the operation, the u.s. marshals say they've found 200 missing children across the country, including runaways and kids who were abducted. >> they really are the forgotten children and that is the whole purpose behind what we do. >> reporter: marshals known for

hunting criminals now giving vulnerable kids a second chance. ken dilanian, nbc news, new york. still to come, the tigers pounce on the yankees in extra innings, and assist fever hits indiana. find out the latest rookie record smashed by caitlin clark, right after this. it kills 99.9% of bad breath germs for five times more cleaning power than brushing and flossing alone. get a next level clean... ahhhhh with listerine. feel the whoa! why use 10 buckets of water when you can use 1 fire extinguisher. and to fight heartburn, why take 10 antacids throughout the day when you can take 1 prilosec. for easier heartburn relief, one beats ten. prilosec otc. one pill. 24 hours. zero heartburn. 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. 50 days!?

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the rebound. clark, what a pass. here comes clark. wielding through traffic, lays it in. miss there from lloyd. clark to swing ahead. and mitchell lays it in. >> that's just fun to watch, michelle. all of those great assists. another rookie record comes tumbling down in indiana. sunday caitlin clark breaking the wnba record for assist by a rookie in the indiana fever's win over the seattle storm. clark ended the game with a

career toll of 232 assists, passing the mark set in 1998. this comes a month after indy's first-year phenom set a new single game assist record lodging 19 of them against dallas. how about that. >> it's awesome. and it's so nice to see her make that jump from college and be just as successful professionally. that doesn't always happen. >> and just as giving. just as selfless as she is hitting that assist record. the young stars of little league world series got a break from their championship action to see their big league idols take the field on sunday. how cool is that. the yankees faced the tigers in this year's edition of mlb little league classic. after detroit the two teams traded scores until the tigers stepped up to the plate. >> at second, swings and sends it to left. got a good arm. they're going to wave him.

a delay on the throw, he is safe! >> all right. zack kentry giving the tigers the 3-2 win. >> we want to see the kids hit the mound or something. >> newtown is 10 minutes away from me where i live now. and they're in it. they're still hot and playingon tuesday. so fingers crossed. >> always good stuff. when we come back, aliens scare "deadpool & wolverine" to the number two spot. and m&m's is rdyea for spooky seasons with its new pumpkin flavor. g. tell me you're joking. uh, it's a little early for jokes, but here it goes. this muffin goes on vacation— what's happening? you said “joking” three times, that's why i'm here. uh, anyway, so this muffin— well i was just excited about my new car. -new car? oh, you don't need a joke, you need a jake. [singing] like a good neighbor, state farm is there. your state farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. alright, i've got a show, so—

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>> reporter: when alex and sarah got married at a wisconsin resort this summer -- >> you may now kiss. [ cheering ] >> reporter: they had no idea for better or for worse would start that night. >> do you see it? >> reporter: a tornado alert hit just before their reception. then the power went out. ♪ so they sheltered in the cellar with the group having a family reunion. the strangers lighting up the room with their iphones. ♪ so beautiful ♪ >> reporter: playing guitar and everyone singing so the newlyweds could have their very first dance. >> it felt like the whole room was trying to give us all the love that they had. >> it truly felt like everybody in that room was family. >> reporter: there was cheering too at city of hope orange

county cancer center in california. dozens of firefighters rallied around battalion chief brandon wilson on his last day of chemo. [ cheering ] brandon, now cancer-free, moved to tears by the team who helped him be brave during this battle. >> i have some exciting news for you. i am a match! >> no, megan, you're not! >> and this is a phone call jessica haas will never forget. >> i'm excited to be able to do this for you. >> oh my god, i love you so much. thank you. >> reporter: it's the moment she found out her old college sorority sister megan schultz was a match to donate her kidney. jessica, who has chronic kidney disease met megan 18 years ago when they were both members of pi beta phi sorority at ohio

state. you both got emotional. what was going through your mind? and what was going through your heart? >> i couldn't believe it. i get a second chance at life because of her. i'm 37. i'll get a longer life with megan's kidney. she is an angel in so many ways. >> reporter: it's a gift also that really in many ways will transcend time. >> being able to show her a little bit of love so that she can be healthy and just be herself out there in the world spreading so much joy, it is really an honor to be able to do that. >> told you you'd get a smile there. thanks, jose for that. thanks for waking up with us here at "early today." i'm richard lui.

in the spotlight this week as president biden prepares t