hurricane francine rocks the louisiana coast. around 130,000 people remain without power this morning as

floodwaters recede, and thankfully, the governor says no storm-relate the deaths have been reported. authorities in california are hoping cooler weather can help slow down three major wildfires in the southern part of the state. millions remain under red flag warnings. russia launching a new counter offensive to take back territory in ukraine. ukraine awaiting the go ahead to use long-range missiles inside russia. jordan chiles speaks out publicly for the first time since being stripped of her bronze olympic medal. and one stranger's act of kindness bringing a beloved stuffed animal home to texas after it was accidently left behind in california. it's friday, september 13th. "early today" starts right now. . . "early today" starts right now.

good morning, glad you're with us to end the week. i'm frances rivera. we begin with the damage left in the wake of hurricane francine. about 130,000 homes remain without power across louisiana this morning where water is beginning to recede after cities were swamped by flash flooding and powerful winds. jay gray is in new orleans. >> reporter: the mess is scattered for miles. louisiana beginning to clean up. after a beating from francine, the category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, pushing through the bayou and marshland along the coast. the center of the storm targeting new orleans, dumping just under a foot of water on the city. the rain falling so fast flood pumps can't keep up. neighborhoods swallowed. >> you can see right now that guy breaking that window. >> reporter: during a live broadcast, wdsu focuses on a pickup truck stuck in the rising waters. >> it seems like one person is in that vehicle. >> reporter: miles crawford, an

er nurse watching rushes from his nearby home to save the driver. >> i just didn't want him to go under. i don't know if he's going to get swept away or if he knows how to swim or anything. i wanted to make sure he was safe and brought limb thim to s. >> reporter: now a day later with most of the flood water the receding, power is the biggest problem for tens of,000 in the strike zone. crews working non-stop in some of the hardest-hit areas. it could take days to restore snapped lines. jay gray, nbc news, new orleans. now to russia who's launched a counter offensive in the kursk border region, hoping to dislodge ukraine from the areas they captured mord thane than a minnesomi month ago. what's the reaction from the

ukrainian side? >> reporter: good morning, frances, the president of ukraine, zelenskyy, has acknowledged that russia has launched a counter attack in the kursk region. he said despite that it is all going according to ukrainian plans. we don't know whether that means that the, or how long the ukrainian troops will be able to hold their positions inside russia, because we don't know whether this is the start of a major counter offensive by russia or if they're just probing the ground for a bigger operation in the future. what could really change that and change the course of the war in general is whether nato allies will finally, at long last, allow ukraine to use western long-range missiles and weapons to hit targets inside russia as zelenskyy has been demanding frequently and especially recently. well, now, this will probably be a topic of discussion when president biden and the new prime minister of britain, keir starmer, will meet at the white house for the first time today.

well, britain has made it clear or signaled at least, that they do want to allow ukraine to use british long-range missiles to hit targets inside russia, while biden has so far been very wary of allowing nato allies to use those weapons. it seems like he may be now in a point of changing his mind and clearing the way. and, in the meantime, the ministry of defense, from russia, said that if u.s. long-range missiles are being used to hit targets inside russia, well, they may retaliate with nuclear weapons, frances. >> claudio lavanga for us with the latest developments, thank you. now to the race for the white house. former president trump says he will not participate in another debate. his decision comes as both candidates returned to the campaign trail for the first time since their showdown tuesday. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> reporter: deuling rallies in

critical battleground states. vice president kamala harris in north carolina. >> while donald trump is trying to pull our nation backward, we are fighting for the future. >> reporter: former president trump in arizona. >> kamala harris showed up spewing empty rhetoric. >> reporter: he says tuesday's fiery debate with harris will be their last. >> because we've done two debates, and because they were successful, there will be no third debate. >> reporter: but harris wants another. >> we owe it to the voters to have another debate. >> reporter: her campaign says it's entering an aggressive new phase in trying to take north carolina which democrats haven't won since 2008. >> donald trump intends to revoke the affordable care act. he has no plan to replace it. he says, he says concept of a plan. >> reporter: harris' team now ramping up its push for younger

voters. we met this group from wake forest university. they say enthusiasm is surging since president biden dropped out. >> having someone who looks like you, who has the same values as you on the ticket, that's just so encouraging, exciting. >> reporter: what do you make of her shift to the center? >> i think she's doing what politicians do, which is try to represent everyone in america. >> reporter: while former president trump in arizona, a state he narrowly lost in 2020 going after harris' record on the economy. >> i'm angry about rampant inflation destroying our middle class and the american people are also very angry about that. >> reporter: trump supporters say he delivered at this week's debate. >> i think trump won, because he hit all the mashes. he touched on all the points that i think americans are looking to hear about. >> she didn't tell us what her agenda was or what she was going to do for us. she just talked. >> and our thanks to gabe for that report. a judge in north dakota has struck down the state's strict

abortion ban. the district judge said that the state constitution creates a, quote, fundamental right to access abortion before a fee fusfetus is viable. while the ruling makes abortion legal again, no clinics currently perform the procedure in north dakota. turning to the wildfire emergency out west, cooler temperatures and higher humidity are aiding fighters in pushing back the flames in four southern california counties. but the fires are still keeping tens of thousands from their homes. suspected arsonist justin halstonburg was hit with nine charges for allegedly starting the line fire. he has not entered a plea, but if convicted he could go away for life. meanwhile, millions of people up and down the state's coast woke up to shaking from a 4.7 magnitude quake north of malibu. tremors could be felt throughout the greater los angeles area and

as far south as san diego. the city of malibu says no injuries or damage, major damage, was reported. let's bring in nbc meteorologist angie lassman, who is tracking heavy rain across the southeast. good morning, angie. >> this is all part of what's left over of francine. we're going to continue to see heavy rain be a big threat across the southeast and tennessee valley today. this will be something that we'll note. it will bring, of course, the chance for flooding. flood alerts are up for 7 million people, stretching from tennessee into parts of georgia and florida as well. birmingham, columbus in the bull's eye of that. we see what's left over the francine circulating right around that same area. so the flood threat will still be there across the southeast. not just today but into tomorrow too. we'll be looking at additional rainfall up to four inches. flash flooding a big possibility especially across northern alabama. we'll watch for that across the southeast. otherwise, really warm temperatures for the middle of the country. plenty of sunshine as we head

into tomorrow across the northeast. and that sticks with us for d t montgomery and up through raleigh. and that's a look at your forecast, frances. back to you. >> okay, we'll be ready for it this weekend. coming up, a spooky good deal for your sweet tooth to celebrate friday the 13th. but first, olympic gymnast jordan chiles breaks her silence over losing her bronze medal through a technicality. ze medal through a technicality. the serum that targets top eye concerns. it hydrates, brightens, refreshes tired eyes, and improves fine lines and puffiness. what's up, you seem skinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'.

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>> leave it to james cook to cook the dolphins. the buffalo bills' star running back dominated miami with three touchdowns in the first half, including an explosive 49-yard run into the end zone late in the second quarter. and some scary moments in the third. dolphins' quarterback tua tagovailoa took a huge hit from damar hamlin and suffered his third concussion of his nfl career. from there, though, bills ran away with it, 31-10. now to one of the biggest controversies out of the paris olympics. team usa gymnast, jordan chiles, is open up about her heartbreak after her bronze medal was stripped away. we get more from stephanie gosk. >> reporter: at the vmas. >> you know what? >> reporter: rapper flavor flav showing his support for gymnast jordan flav. >> i got you something that they can't take away from you. >> reporter: but for chiles, the emotional rollercoaster of winning and then being stripped of an olympic bronze medal is

not over. >> the biggest thing that was taken from me was -- [ applause ] -- that it was the recognition of who i was. >> reporter: the two-time olympian opening up on camera for the first time at the forbes power womens summit about the controversy and backlash online, including racist comments. >> to me, everything that has gone on, it's not about the medal. it's about, you know, that my skin color, i felt like, everything, like, has been stripped. >> reporter: in paris, chiles finished fifth in the floor exercise final. at first. >> there has been an inquiry put in. >> reporter: her coach challenged the score. >> a change in numbers. >> reporter: with the revision, a shocked chiles moved up to third and won bronze, but days later that celebration turn flood frustration. the court of arbitration for sport rulet ruled teamd team rus

was made too late. >> i followed the rules. my coach followed the rules. >> reporter: the u.s. olympic committee is pursuing an appeal. chiles says she is determined to stay positive. >> i'm going to shine bright, because the star's never going to get dimmed. and i'm always just going to keep walking forward. >> what a great outlook. our thanks to stephanie for that report. up next, the gamer girls bringing a fresh perspective to the industry. and the promising new weight loss drug that could beat out heavy weights like ozempic and wegovy. ozempic and wegovy. honey... dayquil severe honey. powerful cold and flu symptom relief with a honey-licious taste. dayquil honey, the honey-licious, daytime, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, power through your day, medicine. always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients

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oakland, california neighborhood is a young group of minority women and non-binary youth striving to make their mark in the gaming industry. >> you know what, i'm going to do this thing i really want to do, and it's video games. it's just simply that. >> reporter: marissa diaz is the artist of camino. it follows a cuban villager on a quest to reunite with their family, all while fighting settlers colonizing the island. what gives them guidance and power? ancestral deities. >> my father practices the faith and my grandfather did. >> reporter: diaz developed the game with a team of mostly women and gender-non-conforming minorities who grew up in the bay area. >> my family comes from havana. i'm the only afro-cuban here. it comes from teaching the team.

>> reporter: only 27% of game developers are women and non-binary people. they say they wouldn't even know how to create a game if it wasn't for their local tech training program called game heads whose mission is to rectify these numbers. >> now it's at half. it almost makes me want to cry. >> reporter: founded in 2015, game heads helps young adults of color and low-income prepare for careers in the tech and video game industry. >> you want to know how to pull your game on pc or mac. >> reporter: each year, 600 students receive career guidance through game heads. >> i came in not knowing how to animate, and now i know how to like, do animation, 3d modeling. story boarding. >> reporter: since its start, game heads has launched over a hundred games, nearly all

available to purchase and play. >> it's reaching that level for a game to be released on a major platform. >> reporter: after two and a half years of programming it launched last year. >> i did it. it's done. so you know the cheat codes. >> yes. >> reporter: and similar to the way deities help players in camino, they are lighting a path for women and non-binary people in gaming. what are you hoping to share with the other young women who come in here with the same idea the first day you walk into gameheads? >> i'm going to say that it offs them like another avenue or option to do something that they want, especially in games or even like with virtual production. doing it on their own, like, account, or just their own volition. >> that was jay valle reporting for nbcu academy. for more on this story, explore

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>> reporter: 9-year-old derrick silva waited six months for this stuffed gorilla, a limited-edition toy from his favorite video game. the wait was worth it. his mom says derrick and his gorilla were inseparable. she even threw her son a gorilla-themed birthday party. but, when they went on vacation in california, his gorilla was accidently left behind in the hotel room. >> he cried for days, and i would tell him, it's okay. but he's also a child, you know? a little monkey, a stuffed animal brings him joy and happiness. >> reporter: the hotel refused to mail the monkey back to texas and said the lost stuffed animal would have to be picked up in person. desperate, yvette went on facebook and asked if any friends or family in california could help. >> i gave it one more try, let me see if someone happens to live in the valley. i never in a million years thought somebody i knew that was five minutes away would bring me

the monkey. >> reporter: josie ortega is from the same part of texas but was visiting her boyfriend in nevada when she saw the post. >> i didn't know anything about them. i just knew he lost his monkey. i have two daughters. if my daughters were in the same situation, i would love somebody to do the same thing. >> reporter: so jos seie, a stranger, decided to go an hour out of the way to get the monkey. she documented the journey back to texas on plains, trains, and in cars, watching the minions movie and drinking dr. pepper, which josie later learned were some of derrick's favorite things. finally, josie and the gorilla arrived back in texas for a very special reunion. >> you're missing somebody. here you go! >> reporter: and the 9-year-old's smile worth a thousand words. >> made me happy, because, i wa like, i did something good. it was a good moment to see a

little boy smile again. >> reporter: josie's act of kindness creating an unbreakable bond. the two moms are still in touch and meet up for playdates, hoping to teach their kids about the impact of kindness. >> one day when derrick gets older and he has children he can share what happened when he was 9. >> thank you for bringing the monkey back. >> reporter: kate snow, ennbc news. >> that is the sweetest, and i guarantee you, they are loving that s

hopefuls are ramping up their efforts for the white house. and in just a few hours, former president donald trump makes a stop here in the bay area. of course, we have