the stage is set for vice president kamala harris' biggest moment of her political career.

what to watch for as the democratic national convention gets under way today, and the protesters already gathering in chicago. the race for a ceasefire. secretary of state antony blinken arriving in israel overnight to try and strike a deal to end the war in gaza. we're live with the renewed diplomatic push. a soaking start to the week. severe weather brings flash flooding across the northeast as hurricane ernesto triggers deadly rip currents along the east coast. meteorologist michelle grossman tracking the danger for us. the fight against deepfakes. the new lawsuit aiming to stop the scourge of nudify websites that create porn by using ai. green lighting selfies. how an artist is turning new york city traffic cameras into photo booths. it's monday, august 19th. "early today" starts right now. and good morning. i'm richard lui. vice president kamala harris takes center stage today at the

democratic national convention kicks off in chicago. the dnc released its party platform overnight which was approved before president buide dropped out of the race. it emphasizes the party's top issues including the economy and strengthening democracy. going into this week's big event, polls showing vice president harris gaining ground on former president trump in key swing states. she and her running mate governor tim walz hit the road in their new campaign bus this weekend, crisscrossing battleground pennsylvania to try and build on that momentum. >> when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. when you stand for working people you fight for working people. when you stand for freedom, whether it be to make decisions about you own body or who you love, you fight for those things. when you believe in ending child poverty, you fight for that. when you believe in what we need to do to lift up the middle class, you fight for the middle class. >> well, tonight harris is set to take the stage with president

biden as he delivers his keynote speech to kick off the dnc. monica alba has a preview. >> just a month ago, this convention hall was supposed to be president biden's big stage for the week, and we'll show just how dramatically everything has changed since he left the race. now the evening is meant in part to be a tribute to the president's leadership with first lady jill biden speaking, and then in a prime time speech, the president will detail why he thinks vice president harris is best positioned to take on donald trump now. and then he'll pass the torch to her with the two expected to share that major moment together. now the other big speakers this week will lewd the obamas and the clintons, governor walz will accept the vice presidential nomination on wednesday, and vp harris will have her keynote on thursday. . >> all right, monica, thanks for that preview for us. now security is tight in chicago this morning ahead of the dnc. protesters already taking to the streets last night to try and send a message to politicians demanding action on reproductive rights and an end to the

israel-hamas war. maura barrett has that. >> free, free, free palestine. >> reporter: on the eve of the democratic national convention's kickoff. protesters already on the streets of chicago and even on the river, strategizing for a massive ramp-up in the days ahead. tens of thousands of protesters expected to pour into the windy city. >> people are coming by cars, planes and trains. >> reporter: they're calling on democratic leaders to take action on issues from the israel-hamas war, reproductive rights and affordable housing. activists like sherry traveling in from across the country. how optimistic are you that your voice will be heard this week? >> i'm very optimistic. we have a shot for somebody to hear us and we're going to take that shot. >> reporter: the city says it's ready, designating protest zones. the streets in blue just blocks

from the convention. activists, though, calling for more space to protest. >> we are going to continue to fight up until the stepoff from the park tomorrow. >> reporter: in downtown chicago, businesses are already boarded up. >> i am hopeful it's not needed. they are overprepared and i hope everyone stays safe. >> reporter: chicago police on high alert, training hundreds of officers to help pitch in. security preps well under way. the governor with a warning for protesters. >> if there are trouble makers they're going to get arrested and they're going to get convicted. >> our thanks to maura with that. turning to the republican ticket, former president trump is gearing up for the busiest week of his campaign so far. he is planning to barnstorm across battleground states each day of the dnc to counter program his democratic rival. his first stop in pennsylvania saturday night where he focused more on personal attacks over policy, a strategy top republicans have warned against. >> they said no, her biggest advantage is she is a beautiful woman. i'm going huh, i never thought

of that. i'm better looking than she is. >> if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. donald trump, the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election. >> trump is expected to make another stop in pennsylvania later this afternoon. well, secretary of state antony blinken is meeting with israel's prime minister in israel this morning. it comes after two days of talks 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 to claudio lavanga who is following the story for us. claudio, good morning. what is next? >> good morning, richard. in a statement posted on telegram, hamas basically accuses netanyahu of continuing to put obstacles to the ceasefire, even attempts to

prolong the war, such as refusing or rejecting the idea of the proposal of a complete withdrawal of a permanent ceasefire, and also his insistence that israel should continue to control the corridors and the rafa crossing in gaza, even after the war, all conditions that hamas has always said it cannot and will not accept. now the philadelphia corridor is in the south of gaza. it borders with egypt, and israel says it wants to continue to control it after the war because it wants to prevent smuggling from there from egypt. and the corridor that cut basically in half. and israel says they want to prevent armed men coming from the south ofgaza to the north. on the other hand, netanyahu accuses hamas of delaying the ceasefire by refusing the latest deals, by refusing to send its people, its representatives to the latest rounds to talks in doha, which of course is kind of

a blame game that has been going on since the start of negotiations. they continue to delay the ceasefire and meantime people continue to die in gaza, according to health authorities there. at least 29 people, including quintuplets have died in the latest israeli air strike just as secretary of state antony blinken arrives in israel to seal the deal. back to you. >> claudio, so many hoping they will reach an end to this somehow. thank you. in colorado, about 100 people are recovering after falling ill to extreme heat at the pike's peek regional air show saturday. the temperatures there topping 100, sending 10 people to the hospital. authorities say there were no serious injuries. it was a weekend of dangerous and severe weather across the country, across the east coast, beaches were closed as ernesto now as 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, wind, rain, flooding or excessive heat in the case of the southern united states. in the tropics, ernesto leaving behind a trail of destruction as well and bermuda and puerto rico have begun a massive cleanup effort. let's go now to our meteorologist michelle grossman. good morning to you, michelle. you can see ernesto exiting stage right, but boy, that tail is a big one. >> that's rite. we're going to continue to see rough seas because of ernesto. and we're also looking at a chance for some showers, some storms not related to ernesto along the east coast. that's the cold front that really kept ernesto away. we're looking at flooding rains. we saw that last night, and the chance for more flooding rains today. a really steamy south continuing. this is what radar looks like. lots of spots seeing heavy down position lightning throughout portions of the central plains. look at the northeast. we're looking at heavy rain still falling in spots, and that's going to be the story as we go throughout the day. there is the cold front

responsible for the chance of showers and storms. and some of these storms are tapping into tropical moisture. so we could see some heavy downpours, continue to see the chance for flash flooding that is today. and then tomorrow staying put. so that continues into tomorrow. we do have a flash flood risk where you see the green here from portions of new england and to the northeast, down to the midatlantic as well. from norfolk, new york city, boston aiming into burlington, could see some very heavy rain. the heaviest rain will be in portions of the new england area. we're looking at some heavy rain there. up to 2 inches in some spots where you see the reds, yellows and oranges that will be the heaviest rain. we're looking at really steamy conditions in the south. heat alerts this mornling. where you see the pink, that is a heat warning. we're going to see temperatures soaring into the 100 n the

south. lots of sunshine. we're looking at temperatures into the triple-digits. 105 in san angelo. richard? >> all right, michelle, thank you. >> sure. a scary sight at a music festival in germany. part of a ferris wheel catching fire on saturday night. the ride's operator told a german news agency that no passengers were in the gondola that erupted in flames. but at least 23 people were hurt. police are still trying to figure out what sparked that fire. coming up for you, parents, check your fridge. we have some details rather on a major chicken nugget recall. but first, how california is cracking down on deepfake porn with the first of its kind lawsuit. that's why you need 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.

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closer look at the lawsuit that alleges these sites manipulate and create images of real adults and children without their consent. >> reporter: the long arm of the law starting to come down on fake and altered pornography generated by ai as the calls from victims of the high-tech harassment grow louder around the world. >> these images are used to pulley and threaten women and girls. >> reporter: taking on websites that he says his office says allows users to nudify images of real people, of nonconsenting adults and minors using ai. >> the websites allow users to upload photos of real clothed individuals. ai technology will then, quote, undress these persons in the photo, creating pornographic images. >> reporter: the sites have been visited more than 200 million times in just the first six months of this year, according to a new lawsuit. chu is asking the courts to shut down the sites and force their owners to pay penalties.

>> while profiting off this content, these website operators have violated a plethora of state and federal laws banning deepfake pornography, revenge pornography, child pornography. >> reporter: prosecutors have yet to identify many of the owners in the suit. nbc news did reach out for comment to those listed where we could find contact information. we've not immediately heard back. outside california, a patchwork of state laws means the legality of so-called deepfake porn varies, because the images are sometimes seen as technically not real in certain jurisdictions, they are not always considered illegal. but for those who have seen their likeness hijacked, the pain is all too real, especially for teenaged girls and young women. >> i did start crying because i was very emotional. >> reporter: nbc's valerie castro spoke with another high schooler impacted. >> immediate felt nausea and gross, because, like, yeah, it's my face there, but that's not my body. >> reporter: parents are struggling to protect their children from this type of

technology. >> you do believe they have postally been posted online. we've been referred to the national center of exploited children. >> reporter: the images can circulate among victims' peers at schools, leading to bullying or harassment. representative alexandria ocasio-cortez, a victim of deepfake pornography herself is sponsoring legislation to address it nationally. it passed unanimously in the senate. it's in the house's hands now, while an increasing number of states are also introducing and passing legislation to combat certain nonconsensual sexually explicit images. but future now san francisco says the action against the sites themselves is the first of its kind. thinking investigation has taken our office into the darkest corners of the internet. all of us have been absolutely horrified for the women and girls who have had to endure this exploitation. >> reporter: savannah seller, nbc news. still to come, it's the gas station that has everything from fudge and brisket to a grammy

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now drop and give me twenty! twenty what? i came down to this bucky's about a month ago. and when i left, it would be kind of fun to do a show there. oh, it will be fun. we'll set up a little stage and some people will come around and hear us play. i swear to you i thought maybe 100, 200 people. >> country superstar keith urban putting on a surprise show i guess for patrons as well for himself at the bucky's gas station in athens, alabama friday. hundreds of fans believed to have shown up for the concert that was announced just hours before. now before taking the parking lot turned stage, urban got a taste of life as a bucky's employee, posting a video to his instagram of him preparing fresh brisket inside the convenience store. now i lived in the south, but in georgia, but i've never heard of

bucky's, but i've been hearing from our bp that this has everything you can imagine, top quality, clean bathrooms, everything you can imagine. >> everything. our friend joe fryer did a story on it and i was sold ever since. little did you know you can get a keith urban concert. >> now you have him. >> hot dogs, laundry detergent and keith urban. >> and nicole kidman pumping gas for you. >> also looking to use her platform, ariana grande, and maybe give them one kind of experience. the superstar has partnered with the nonprofit head count to encourage fans of the singer to check if they're registered to vote. the organization's good to vote initiative. once they do that, they'll be entered into a contest to attend the premiere of grande's new film "wicked." can't wait to see that. "wicked" is a release of our sister company universal pictures. grande has previously partnered with head count in 2019,

registering more than 30,000 fans to vote. that's amazing. between her and taylor swift getting people out to vote, those numbers are high. >> using their public platform to try to get folks to do something. it's great when you have this so-called for profit -- not for profit together. music too. the new purdue chicken recall over possible metal contamination. and an artifact whips up over half a million dollars at auction. kes, 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— you forgot your toothbrush, jimmy fallon! like a good neighbor, state farm is there. ( ♪♪ )

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tapping into the big apple's vast network of traffic cameras, taking the selfie to new heights, and raising awareness of the technology all around us. here is valerie castro. >> reporter: at intersections across new york city, there is a new way to take a selfie. hiding in plain sight. >> yeah you got me. >> reporter: "wall street journal's" charging bull, radio city music hall, even central park. all under the eyes of cameras available live on traffic cam photo boost.com. >> that's crazy. >> reporter: brooklyn based artist morry colman built the website using the publicly available camera streams from the city's department of transportation. >> this is one of 900 that exists around new york city. they're for cars, but people still get caught up on the lenses. >> reporter: he gave us tips and tricks. >> the cameras update every two seconds. pose for three seconds. one, two, three. and then tap. then what we can do is we can,

you know, change something about what's going on. again, stay in the crosswalk, tap again, you can see me here. and let's go back on to the sidewalk so i don't stop this car from copping by. make one more big pose, one, two, three, and tap. and boom. >> reporter: traffic cam photo booth quickly going viral since it was launched. >> 60,000 visits to the website, and over 40,000 photos have been taken. >> reporter: but some people worry about the potential for bad actors to take advantage of the city's cameras. >> i think maybe someone can stalk you and see where, for real someone can see what you're doing. i don't know. people can be crazy. >> reporter: morry says he created the website to call attention to the impact of technology and surveillance on our everyday lives. >> and so people are getting really almost jarred by the sheer amounts of surveillance happening. and again, remember, this is a fraction of all the cameras around us. so just consider that huge

amount of coverage. multiply it by 100. >> reporter: despite those concerns, other users finding creative ways to use the site. >> a lot of people if you were to take group photos, i've seen some people take it night out on the town photos. >> reporter: making these once unexpected photographs a little more intentional. >> and then all you need to do is screen shot it and it's ready to share. >> reporter: one selfie at a time. >> and our thanks to valerie for that report. thanks for starting your week with "early today." i'm richard lui. go and have great monday.

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