helene makes landfall. it brings with it an immense storm surge that officials warn is unsurvivable. we have team coverage on what conditions are like right now in florida. vice president kamala harris will head to the border, facing questions over her shifting stance on the border wall it's a sdeed that affects about 100,000 americans, and the sickle cell awareness month, "early today" speaks to one of

the oldest-living americans with the disease. it a all eyes are on florida this morning as hurricane helene lashes the state after making landfall on the big bend reason. the impacts of helene have been felt long before its arrival. on thursday, a driver in tampa was killed after a sign fell onto their car. florida's governor warning the death toll is likely to rise. the storm is now downgraded to a category 1 as the eye crosses over georgia. two people are dead there after an apparent tornado touched down in wheeler contiunty. 61 of the 67 counties are under states of emergency. in taylor county, a sheriff

telling residents refusing to leave areas near the coast that they could likely die. >> if you're bound and determined to stay and not get out of harm's way, go ahead and take a black magic marker, write your name and social security number on your arm so we can identify you. >> the storm surge has reached up to 20 feet in some areas. jesse kirsch was there as it made landfall. >> reporter: we're in the eye wall wall, as it's getting ready to make landfall. we're in perry, which is going to be in the middle of a prolonged tornado. we are on the right side of this storm, which means we're going to be getting the strongest winds here. we're looking at sustained winds over 100 miles per hour. there are leaves blowing around. the rain coming in, it's not the heaviest wind, but the rain is whipping around. can you hear the tree leaves

blowing around. lots of rustling, and i'm looking to see, how these trees are holding up. so far everything is going okay. that's a flash of lightning, i'm coming back in, it's either a flash of lightning or a transformer. i'm coming back in. >> let's turn to angie lassman who is tracking helene's path for us. where is the storm headed next? >> we are not done with this system. it's headed across parts of the southeast, eventually ending up into the tennessee valley. in the meantime, it has weakened a little bit. but for how much it's interacting with land, can you see still hanging onto the category 1 strength. winds at 90 miles per hour. it is just racing across this region, moving at a speed of 26 miles per hour. notice all the rain ahead of it and associated with this system. this is something we see as it works toward the inland areas, impa impacting folks across this

rooirnl. n region. we will see the catastrophic flooding across this region. the potential for tornados as well. by the later afternoon, evening hours, most of that rain will move into the mississippi, ohio va va valley areas. some of those stronger winds will work a little farther to the north. and of course that flooding will not be done just yet. here's the winds that we're expecting. notice parts of georgia. 50 to 70 mile-per-hour winds, atlanta, 45-65 mile-per-hour. it's not a surprise if we see additional power outages over this region over the next couple hours and into the afternoon hours tonight. the big picture, look for the flash flooding from the gulf coast all the way to asheville. we'll see that major river flooding here. that's not going anywhere any time soon. not anywhere for the water to go. we've seen reports of 10, 15 inches of rain in some spots across the carolinas with more on the way. this is something to watch.

>> a very long morning, long day for so many. just a few hours from now, ukrainian president zelenskyy will meet with former u.s. president trump in new york city. on thursday, zelenskyy met with both president biden and vice president harris who said that u.s. support for ukraine is, quote, unwavering. let's go to daniele hamamdjian. what more came out of the meeting between zelenskyy and harris? >> reporter: good morning, frances. and that unwavering support just over a month before the u.s. election comes in the form of an $8 billion package for ukraine. vice president kamala harris, the democratic nominee, has echoed president biden's staunch support for the country. >> there are some in my country who would, instead, force ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory. they are not proposals for peace. instead, they are proposals for

surrender. >> reporter: now harris there appearing to reference the republican presidential candidate, donald trump, who was not previously expected to meet with zelenskyy. and, as you know, has been quite critical of u.s. aid to ukraine. here's what he said ahead of his meeting with the ukrainian leader. >> it's not a surrender. what my strategy is to save lives. i'll meet with president zelenskyy, and we'll see what happens, but i believe i can work that out. >> reporter: and you might remember during the debate with harris, trump was asked twice whether he wanted ukraine to win the war. both times ducking the question. instead saying, he wanted the war to stop. frances? >> danielle, thanks so much. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is denying reports of a potential cease-fire between israel and hezbollah in lebanon. arriving in new york thursday

for the u.n. general assembly, netanyahu confirmed to reporters his stance that the idf would not stop continuing to strike hezbollah with full force. however, his office later said that talks are ongoing with an american delegation, discussing the cease-fire initiative. around 700 people have been killed so far in lebanon this week. an israeli airstrike in the country's northeast killed 20 people thursday. most of them syrian nationals. israel says it is trying to target hezbollah forces and weapons facilities. iran-backed hezbollah has been firing rockets into northern israel in support of hamas since the october 7 attacks. now to the race for the white house. donald trump will take his message on the economy to battleground michigan today while vice president harris is visiting the border in arizona. that's where she likely be asked about her shifting stance on bidding a boruilding /* b

building a border wall. >> reporter: in 2021, president biden deputized vice president harris to stem the flow of migrants bying l looking at the causes of migration. but harris has only visited the border once as vice president and has kept relatively quiet on the issue while campaigning. her platform is largely pinned on the promise to bring back a failed border security bill that includes new border wall construction, something the biden administration previously opposed. nbc news got rare access to this remote area of the border, now closed to the public in coronado national park. we made our way near the top of a mountain along the u.s.-mexico border. it was right here the contractor stopped wall construction at the end of the trump administration. a very tangible relic of her opponent's immigration policy. when the biden-harris administration took over, these materials were just left behind?

>> they were left behind. i've been told that they can't get rid of it. it's been sitting down here the last three and a half years. we've been frozen in time here. >> reporter: former president trump built more than 450 miles of wall, though the vast majority replaced existing barriers. he's made the border a top campaign issue, from the wall to his plan for mass deportations. >> we'll also seal the border and stop the migrant immigration i vaegs /* vaeg invasion into other country. >> reporter: vice president of the border patrol unit which endorsed trump says the wall is a critical tool to stop illegal crossings. >> you need it here, because this is one of the top areas in the entire country for entries into the united states. >> reporter: harris, who once called trump's border wall un-american and vowed to block its funding, now says she will support a targeted border wall. state representative consuelo hernandez is campaigning for her

in arizona. >> there are some places that make more sense than others to have a wall. but we need more than a wall. and that is not the solution to border crisis. >> reporter: no new border wall has been built since biden took office. but, as harris heads to the swing state of arizona, the country is awaiting new details of her border plan and if she inte int intends to pick up wall construction. mayor adams will appear in district court to be arraigned on five criminal counts, including bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting contributions from a foreign national. a now unsealed indictment alleges adams received over 100 grand in free plane tickets and luxury gifts from turkish nationals, including a government official, in a scheme spanning nearly ten years. video from nbc news shows the fbi searching the mayor's official home, gracie mansion early thursday morning. adams continues to maintain his

innocence, saying this on thursday. >> and i ask new yorkers to wait to hear our defense before making any judgments. and i look forward to defending myself and defending the people of this city. as i've done throughout my entire professional career. >> adams is now the first sitting new york mayor to be indicted. now to east palestine, ohio, where a judge has given final approval to a $600 million settlement to be paid out by norfolk southern after one of their trains carrying cancer-causing chemicals crashed in 2023. let's turn now to nbc meteorologist angie lassman with a look at the forecast and the week ahead. i know you're watching helene, but also got to pay attention to the rest of the country. >> that's exactly right, frances, good morning to you.

boy, is it going to be a warm one for a lot of folks. out west, triple digits for phoenix and las vegas. albuquerque heads to the mid-90s and stretched to the midwest. 83 for minneapolis. that doesn't change for tomorrow either. phoenix takes another run at those triple digits, 113 for your forecasted high. it will stay sunny and fairly bright across most of the western half of the country. we'll watch for helene's remnants here as we get into the day tomorrow and showers will be left over across parts of the ohio degrees. new york city ends up in the mid-70s, too. boston, low 70s with mostly-sunny skies. that's a look at your forecast, frances, back to you. "early today" is back in a minute with the latest legal

blow for rudy giuliani, and the cowboys wrangle the giants in a thursday night nail biter. we'll have those highlights. e we'll have those highlights. e ♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ with claritin, relieving your allergies is a walk in the park. get fast, all-day relief of your worst allergy symptoms like nasal congestion. (♪♪)

live claritin clear. leading the news, alabama has put to death a man convicted of killing three in a workplace shooting spree back in 1999. 59-year-old allan eugene miller was previously set to die by lethal injection in 2022, but that attempt was called off because they had trouble finding a vein. miller was now instead killed using nitrogen gas, a controversial method which deprives the body of oxygen. it's only the second time it's been used in the united states. newsmax has reached a settlement with a voting technology company. smartmatic filed a defamation lawsuit focussed on the false claims that the company's machines rigged the 2020 election. a spokesperson for smartmatic says lying to the american people has consequences. newsmax said it was pleased to

announce it had resolved the litigation days before it was set to go to trial. former new york city mayor rudy giuliani has been disbarred from practicing law in washington, d.c., according to an order filed in federal court. the decision comes from his actions to disseminate lies about voter fraud in the 2020 election. giuliani's spokesperson called it a travesty and total misconduct of justice. he also lost his law license in another state for the similar reasons. a much-needed win, find out who came out on top after this. . my life is full of questions... mom, is yellow a light or a dark? how do i clean an aioli stain? thankfully, tide's the answer to almost all of them. why do we even buy napkins? —use tide. —can cold water clean white socks? it can with tide. do i need to pretreat guacamole?

not with tide. this is chocolate, right? —just use... —tide... yeah. no matter who's doing it, on what cycle, or in what temperature, tide works. so i can focus on all the other questions. —do crabs have eyebrows? —ahh... for all of life's laundry questions... it's got to be tide. feeling ughh from a backed up gut? ughh. miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go. free your gut and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try mirafiber gummies. [♪♪] for 8 grams of fiber, did you know, the first signs of aging start around your eyes? try olay super eyes serum. the serum that targets top eye concerns. it hydrates, brightens, refreshes tired eyes, and improves fine lines and puffiness. try olay super eyes serum. 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.

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!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪

being physical in the run game. >> second year out of north dakota state, to the sideline. here goes lamb.

cd lamb. touchdown. >> the cowboys came to new york looking to silence the haters. and they did just that against an old foe on thursday night football, taking on the giants, dallas snapped their losing streak. the cowboys' defense clamped up as well keeping the giants out of the end zone and limiting them to five field goals. they weren't enough to give them the upset. over in the bronx, the night went a little better for another new york team. >> 1-0 to judge. high fly ball, left field. he's on the track. see ya! >> aaron judge smafshed his 58t

homer. it was run of the ten runs scored by the yanks. the bronx bombers, who had already clenched a playoff spot locked up the a.l. east with the win. and it was the end of the era for baseball in oakland. a crowd gathered to watch the athletics play in their final game in the city. the a's, who have called oakland home since 1968 ended their tenure with a 3-2 win over the rangers. fans and players celebrated and mourned the team's departure. the a's will play in west sacramento for the next three seasons until their new ballpark in las vegas is completed. up next, a hollywood surprise for peanuts fans. and you only have time to work out on the weekends? no sweat. the new study on the surprising health benefits for weekend warriors. benefits for weekend warriors. i'm feeling better. cough? congestion? all in one and done with mucinex kickstart. aaaaaaaaaaaaa- hated that.

headache? better. aaaaaaaaaaaaa- fever? body pain? better now. aaaaaaaaaaaaa- mucinex kickstart gives all-in-one and done relief with a morning jolt of instant cooling sensation. it's not cold and flu season. it's comeback season. dry skin is sensitive skin, too. and it's natural. treat it that way. aveeno® daily moisture with prebiotic oat is proven to moisturize dry skin all day. you'll love our formula for face, too. aveeno® i'll be honest. by the end of the day, my floors...yeesh. but who has the time to clean? that's why i love my swiffer wetjet. it's a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. look at that! swiffer wetjet.

ahh, yellow! didn't pass the tissue test? buckle up! whoa! there's toothpaste white, and there's crest 3dwhitestrips white. whitens like a 400 dollar professional treatment. pilot: prepare for non-stop smiles. crest. 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. 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. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head & shoulders

keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really? they're always on your scalp... but good news, there's no itchiness, dryness or flakes down here. i love tiny troy. and his tiny gorgeous hair. make every wash count! and for stubborn dandruff, try head & shoulders clinical strength. 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. that's a 3x better clean. olay. i'm adding downy unstopables to my wash. now i'll be smelling fresh all day long. [sniff] still fresh. still fresh! ♪♪ with downy unstopables, you just toss, wash, wow. for all-day freshness. here's what's making headlines on this friday morning.

the ntsb issuing a warning to airlines that fly the boeing 737. part of the rudder can lose functionality in cold weather. they are working on additional guidance to address the condition. new horizons for southwest airlines. the company plans to boost profits with extra legroom seats, assigned seating and overnight flights. if you save your exercise for the weekend, good news for you. people who worked out in one or two days had benefits similar to daily exercisers, lowering the risk of nearly 200 diseases. apple tv plus is streaming three peanuts classics for free. including thanksgiving and christmas. ing thanksgiving and christmas. miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go. free your gut and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try mirafiber gummies. [♪♪] for 8 grams of fiber, did you know, there's a detergent that gets your dishes up to 100% clean,

even in an older dishwasher? try cascade platinum plus. for sparkling clean dishes even on the toughest jobs. just scrape, load and you're done. switch to cascade platinum plus.

september is sickle cell awareness month, and we want to highlight disorder from a fresh perspective. you likely know someone with sickle cell. according to the cdc, one in 13 black or african-american babies in the u.s. are born with the sickle cell trait. and those with sickle cell disease have a life expectancy of more than 20 years shorter than average. but there's some hope. one woman, patricia mcgill has defied the odds. she is among one of the oldest living people with the disease. >> reporter: how was it for you growing up with sickle cell? >> sickle cell wasn't prominent. many people knew about it, but when i was 13, the doctor took blood tests and told my mother and me that i had sickle cell anemia. when i started researching at

13, and one of the first things that i found out is most sickle cell patients don't live to be 40. i decided if i was only going to liver live to be about 30, which is what i thought initially, i was going to live it up. >> reporter: for you, what's been the key do live a long and healthy life? >> probably drinking a gallon of water a day. and that helped tremendously. then i got smart enough to get into nutrition. and the nutrition has made worlds of difference. i really think that the nutrition is the reason that i'm still here. >> reporter: what advice would you give to other people living with sickle cell? >> one of the things that i have found over the years that sickle cell people do is hide. they don't want people to know they have sickle cell. i think that's a great mistake. because, when people understand what you're going through and what's happening to you, they're more apt to be able to help.

>> and our thanks for that report. the third largest hospital chain in the country, advocate health announcing it will cancel more than 11,000 debt judgments. they filed more debt lawsuits against patients than any other hospital system in the state between 2017 and 2022. advocate health, or eiatrium health in some states hwill cancel the liens. chris stapleton is rocking the plaza as part of today's citi concert series. something you don't want to miss to kick off your friday. thanks so much for ending your workweek with "early today." i'm frances rivera. hope you have a great friday, a great weekend, and you jn me back earlyoi n