with just weeks left until election day, new polling suggests a race between donald trump and kamala harris is tighter than ever. we're live from d.c. with where each has an advantage and whether we could see another debate. american citizens being told to get out of lebanon as israel

and hezbollah ramp up deadly attacks against each other. we have a live report as the u.n. is now warning of an imminent catastrophe. a manhunt for multiple gunmen in alabama. four people are dead and over a dozen hurt after police say several people opened fire on large group, and some of them may have been targeted. we've got all your highlights of week three in the nfl season. plus an inside look on how some stadiums are using facial recognition technology. and how a group of minnesota students are helping shed light in areas where electricity is scarce. it's monday, september 23rd. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. with 43 days left until election day, nbc news has a new snapshot of the state of the race. new polling suggests vice president kamala harris is gaining ground in her lead against former president trump. but the result is still within the margin of error.

nbc's brie jackson joins us now. good morning, brie, what else does this polling tell us about how voters see the candidates? >> good morning. the numbers show vice president harris gaining momentum, but there are some areas where former president trump is seen as the stronger candidate, and that is on issue likes the border and the economy. and while harris has an advantage when it comes to being competent and effective, more voters also see her as having the mental and physical health to serve as president. the former president, he is still refusing to commit to another debate, even after vice president harris accepted an invitation from cnn for a debate on october 23rd. mr. trump says it's too late to keep debating because early voting has already started. in a new interview, mr. trump indicated that no matter what happens, this is the last time he will run for president. if you're not successful this time, do you see yourself

running again in four years? >> no, i don't, no. i think that that will be -- that will be -- i don't see that at all. >> and vice president harris was in new york yesterday for a wall street fundraiser. her campaign says that she raised $27 million. that's the biggest total since president biden dropped out of the race. harris announced that she will lay out more of her vision for the economy in a speech on wednesday. meanwhile, former president trump has a rally tonight in pennsylvania. frances? >> brie jackson for us, brie, thank you. new this morning, hope of avoiding a government shutdown. speaker mike johnson says the house will vote this week on a funding bill to keep the government open through dst 20th. this does not include any part of the save act which would have required ploof of citizenship to register to vote. the plan does include over $230 million for the secret service. the bill can be considered on the floor as soon as wednesday.

congress has until the end of the month to prevent a shutdown. israel and hezbollah in lebanon are continuing to trade fire. the idf says hezbollah launched 150 rockets, missiles and drones into israel. no one was killed. meanwhile, the death toll from an israeli strike in beirut has risen to 45. the israelis say they were targeting senior hezbollah commanders. let's turn to claudio. good morning, claudio. what more do we know? >> good morning, frances. early this morning the israeli defense forces say today they are still carrying out a new wave of air strikes against hezbollah targets in the south of lebanon. and after that they identified plans of large scale fire attack to israel now, they also said this will be a more significant series, a wave of air strikes than yesterday's because on sunday, they also carried out air strikes against dozens of hezbollah launchers and other

military infrastructures while hezbollah in the south of lebanon in response to as you mentioned, the firing of hundreds of rockets by hezbollah into israel, which were in most cases intercepted, but some of them landed damaging or destroying cars or homes. now this new exchange of fire was followed as usually happens by war of words between two factions. now hezbollah said they carried out the attack on sunday in response to that air strike in beirut in the suburbs of the city that killed at least 45 people, including a leader of hezbollah. and prime minister benjamin netanyahu in a response said and i quote that his army has hezbollah a sequence of blows they did not imagine. now the united nations because of the escalation of the conflict said that region is on the brink of imminent catastrophe. and the situation is so dangerous especially for citizens leaving there that the

state department has warned citizens living in lebanon to leave as soon as possible while they said commercial options are still available. frances? >> powerful classification by the u.n. okay, claudio, thank you. more than 50 people were killed in an explosion at a coal mine in eastern iran saturday. at least 20 are injured and an unknown number of people are still trapped in the mine. the explosion was sparked by a methane leak, state media reports. iran's president ordered all efforts be made to rescue the traps and help his family. he said investigation into the incident has begun. back here at home, an urgent manhunt is under way in birm birmingham, alabama. agents say multiple suspects opened fire on a large group of people saturday night. four people were killed and 17 others injured. police have identified three of the deceased as 21-year-old anietra holman, 27-year-old taj booker, who were pronounced dead at the scene.

the fourth victim is an adult male who died in a nearby hospital. officials are still working to identify him. authorities believe the attack was targeted and say a fully automatic weapon was used before the suspect fled the scene by vehicles. >> we believe the individual he was talking to is among the deceased. we believe that there was a hit, if you will, on that particular person as far as someone was willing to pay money to have that person killed. >> officials are relying on the community and using surveillance video from their search to help track down the gunman. help is on the way. spacex crew 9 team is ready for launch this seat with two empty seats aboard their dragon capsule. the seats intended for the starliner astronaut, butch wilmore and sunny williams who have been stuck in space since june after their boeing spacecraft encountered problem. in new orleans, five people were hurt when a bar porch

dropped two feet as patrons watched the saints game. there were about 100 people on the porch, the wrong iron bar when it suddenly gave way. one person was taken to the hospital and 4 others were treated at the scene. the cause of collapse is under investigation. hey, it looks calm on the mainland, but something is brewing in the tropics. meteorologist violeta yas is tracking it for us. what you watching? >> it's been a quiet couple of weeks in the atlantic, but we right now have two areas that we're watching. one of course is a well out across the open atlantic, just off the coast of africa. but closer to home here, we have one area of showers and thunderstorms with a 90% chance of intensifying into either a tropical depression or a storm through the next seven days. so this is what we're going to be watching for this week. you can see it's still a ways away. this is going to be impacting central america with showers and thunderstorms before eventually pushing to the north here

between cuba as mexico, eventually entering the gulf of mexico. now what happens there, of course, remains to be determined. we're going to have to watch this in terms of which direction it goes. does it hook to the west approaching places like or to the east and places like florida. so the entire gulf coast here is going to be watching this through the course of the next several days in terms of not only the development, but the exact track and impact as those details of course take a little bit of time to sort out. so we'll be watching thivery s summer-like here through the gulf states and into texas with highs into the 90s through brownsville up through sleeve port. and that's a quick peek at your regional weather print. bafk. >> thank you.

a festival rodeo took an unexpected turn in massachusetts after eight poles escaped setting off a wild surge. video captured the moment the bulls got lose. the fire department says seven of the bulls had been captured, but one is still on the run. authorities are urging people to exercise extreme caution and not to approach the bull and to call 911 if they find it. coming up, a new way to pay fans at mercedes stadium will only need their face instead of a ticket or credit card, thanks to a new facial recognition feature.

as a prosecutor, i never asked a victim or a witness: 'are you a republican or a democrat?' the only thing i ever asked them: 'are you ok?' and that's the kind of president we need right now — someone who cares about you and is not putting themselves first. i intend to be a president for all americans, and focus on investing right now in you, the american people. and we can chart a new way forward. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. more accolades for wnba stars a'ja wilson and caitlin clark, aja named mvp for the third time. one press named clark rookie of the year. wilson became the first player

in wnba history to score over a thousand points in a season. clark scored the most points in a single season for a rookie, averaging 19.2 points. nfl stadiums are facing some big changes this season, face scanning technology. it's required for workers and now rolling out for fans. while it gets you inside the stadium faster, there is are some concerns over peyersy. priscilla thompson tries out. >> >> reporter: at mercedes-benz stadium in atlanta, the falcons have not only the hearts of these fans, but now the nfl has many of their face taos. new technology by wicket, rolling out at nfl stadiums has fans in some locations lining up. and facing off with these cameras. the league is using facial

authentication so fans can get into the stadium without showing a ticket. grab their food without cash, and buy their drinks without a credit card. >> just friends. >> got to drink. >> reporter: carl cheerburg -- >> i remember going to go grab a beer of downs and missing my whole family. i don't want that. >> he says the biometric technology speeds up a step. i just downloaded the atlantic falcons. you upload a selfie, connect your online ticket and credit card to the account, and you're ready for kickoff. >> i'm going to take the selfie. i do that? >> all right. and we're in. beer and perez. s. and then i just walk out. so far fans are mixed. you all like it. >> you going to do it? >> i don't know. i don't want that many people get in my face. i'm not comfortable with that. >> you're concerned about the

security and privacy. get hacked all the time. >> you only have one face. so if that face gets compromised, can you live with is that. >> reporter: there are few federal privacy for facial authentication. >> should you give your face up to get into an nfl stadium faster, and they decide to sell that face print to somebody else, there is nothing stopping them from doing that. >> using our quick task system. >> reporter: the falcons won't sell the data. users can wipe their profiles at any time, and it's cleated after a year of inactivity. >> it's 100% option only across the word. we don't use it to monetize. we're not scanning our entire building. data always belongs to our fans. >> reporter: the text required for prudential workers, but not everyone is on board. the las vegas police union whose members patrol the stadium there tells the nbc its members won't use it.

for fans, however, it's up to this to decide whether the tech is a game changer. priscilla thompson, nbc news, atlanta. still to come on "early today," the white sox are one game way from achieving baseball infamy. and even in the weekend full of upsets, the chiefs aaylws managed to find a way. we recap monday night football. has wavy edges that tear so much better. i'm starting to get tearied away. designed with smooth tear edges, charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better for a smooth more enjoyable go. plus it has more cushiony softness than ordinary squares. try charmin ultra soft smooth tear. voted #1 product of the year. using these type of cleansers could be damaging and stripping your skin. i use new olay cleansing melts every day. just soak, activate and wash. to clean, tone and refresh.

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ended with a turnover. this is play 13 of this drive. and mahomes, it's complete. it's race to the end zone for the kansas city touchdown. >> patrick mahomes. passes were falling down like pieces into place on sunday night football. the super bowl mvp kept his chiefs undefeated to start the season, throwing two touchdowns against the atlanta falcons while kirk cousins threw an early touchdown to drake london. the two were unable to recreate last monday night's magic. the falcons were stuffed by the chiefs' defense on their last

gasp drive as kc escapes with the victory, 22-17. but we're watching where we normally see them in action, number 87. travis kelce was really struggling so far. >> i'm sure it's only a matter of time where people say distracted by taylor. many fans are waking up this morning celebrating their team's first win of the season. in cleveland, eight sacks on browns category desean jackson while working with malik neighbors for two touchdowns in the 21-15 win. the broncos rode into tampa bay and scored a major upset. bo nicks got his first career win and gave tampa their first win of of the season, 26-7. and the carolina panthers look like a different team pitching bryce young.

andy dalton throwing three touchdowns in a crucial win for north carolina, 36-22. and despite a fast and furious second half comeback, dak and the boys couldn't seal the deal against baltimore. lamar jackson and the ravens held on late in dallas to score their first win, 28-25. >> shocker. we get when it comes to the nfl. they keep on coming. now to baseball and the latest black mark for the white sox. the chicago white sox logged their 120th loss of the season after they blew a late lead against the san diego padres on sunday. so that defeat ties the 2024 white sox with a 1962 expansion mets for most losses in a single season since the year 1900. with just six games left in the season, the sox will attempt to delay breaking that infamous record when they face the angels

at home on tuesday. so how tough it is to go into this game knowing that that's the record? >> not the kind of record you want to be a wart of. one you hope they don't break. >> hopefully that's the case. when we come back, there is a surge for vaccine preventible disease that is spreading across the u.s. and more free at home covid tests could be heading to your box. how to get them, next. that reach! ♪♪ making hard to reach. so easy! swiffer, [wow!] the mother of all cleans! ♪♪ no matter what kind of teeth you gotta brush, oral-b electric cleans better with one simple touch. oral-b's dentist inspired round brush head hugs em, cleans em, and gets in between em, for 100% cleaner teeth. your perfect clean starts with oral-b. inez, let me ask you, you're using head & shoulders, right? only when i see flakes. then i switch back to my regular shampoo. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. he's right, you know.

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boosters are recommended every ten years as ever case waynes. u.s. households will be able to get up to four rapid tests from covidtest.gov. an exact date when orders can be placed has not yet been announced. we'll keep you updated here on "early today." as a prosecutor, i never asked a victim or a witness: 'are you a republican or a democrat?' the only thing i ever asked them: 'are you ok?' and that's the kind of president we need right now —

someone who cares about you and is not putting themselves first. i intend to be a president for all americans, and focus on investing right now in you, the american people. and we can chart a new way forward. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. it's something we take for granted, but over one billion people live without reliable constant access to electricity around the world. but one group of students in minnesota is working to change that. they're building solar equipment that will be used by students in subsaharan africa.

ellison barbers that their story. >> one, two, three! [ cheering ] >> reporter: at stuartville middle school in southern minnesota, students are working on a bright idea. >> when i fist saw that light bulb turn on, i was not expecting that. i was expecting something to explode like the battery. >> reporter: ooh a portable source of energy, small enough to be carried by hand, but with enough power to last for a week. >> the bigger solar panel allows five or six lights to be powered about 50, 60 hours a week. >> reporter: these solar suitcase kits part science and part service, when they know they're building something that matters and is going to change lives, they suddenly become excited about what they're doing. >> reporter: gigi goldman is the co-founder of we share solar, a nonprofit that sends these assembled kits to energy-scarce regions. >> over 65,000 students and teachers have participated in

the we sell solar program here in the united states. and with solar suitcases they have built provided 14 million hours of light and charging capacity to over half a million students in subis a hair ran africa, primarily in refugee camps. >> reporter: this kit likely headed to a school in rural kenya or uganda. after charging during the day with just a solar panel, it can be used to keep the lights on in places without reliable electricity. so students can feel safer after dark. in minnesota, about 160 kids participated in this year's program, split up into five teams. >> reporters, engineers, artists, community relations! >> quality control. >> and their suitcase will now join more than 1100 solar suitcases deployed around the world. >> we have a lot of things most people don't have in the world. and you got to feel that gratitude about that.

and you also have to feel happy that you're helping them out. >> reporter: a group of students learning not just about the flow of electricity, but how to power positive change for others. >> boy, that solar suitcase and those kids. our future looks bright. our thanks to ellison barber for that story. and thanks to you for being up early with us, especially on a monday. hope it's a good one. have a great one and we'll see you back here early tuesday morning and throughout the whole week can you can join us. see you then.