a civil showdown. jd vance and tim walz keep it cordial in the vice presidential debate, going head to head on everything from the economy to abortion rights. we're live with the key take

aways. growing fears of an all-out war in the middle east. israel vowing to retaliate after iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles that were mostly intercepted with the help of the u.s. the new developments overnight. president biden is set to get a look at the devastation of hurricane helene. over a million people remain without power. we're on the ground with the race to get supplies to survivors. a shocking update in the sean "diddy" combs case. the rap mogul now facing over 100 new sexual assault allegations in a series of lawsuits set to be filed in the coming days. and read all about it. two of the biggest news websites are putting up a paywall. how much it willcost. it's wednesday, october 2nd. "early today" starts right now. glad you're with me this morning. i'm frances rivera. we begin with what could be the final face-to-face showdown in the race for the white house.

minnesota governor tim walz and ohio senator jd vance squared off in the vice president at debate last night. the hopefuls hitting a wide array of issues, including the middle east, immigration, abortion and climate change. nbc's alice barr joins us from d.c. with recap. good morning, alice. >> reporter: good morning, frances. governor tim walz and senator jd vance struck a cordial tone throughout the night, both hoping to show the american people why they are the better choice for office. the candidates sharing this stance on issues throughout the 90-minute debate, including a clash over reproductive rights. >> as a republican who proudly wants to protect innocent life in this country, who proudly wants to protect the vulnerable, is that my party, we've got to do so much better of a job at earning the american people's trust back on this issue, where they frankly just don't trust us. and i think that's one of the things that donald trump and i are endeavoring to do. i want us as a republican party to be pro-family in the fullest

sense of the word. >> the fact of the matter is, how can we as a nation say that your life and your rights, as basic as the right to control your own body is determined on geography? >> reporter: the nominees also sparred over the economy. >> kamala harris has said to do the things she wants to do, we'll just have the wealthiest to pay their fair share. when you do that, our system works best. more people are participating in it, and folks have the things that they need. >> if kamala harris has such great plans for how to address middle class problems, then she ought to do them now. not when asking for a promotion. >> reporter: unusually, in today's political climate, the two vice president candidates appeared to agree with each other on some topics. >> i actually think, i agree with you. i think you want to solve this problem, but i don't think that kamala harris does. >> much of what the senator said right there i'm in agreement with him on this. >> tim just said something that i agree with. >> i agree with a lot of what

senator vance said about what's happening. his running mate, though, does not. that's the problem. >> reporter: but while most of the night was amicable, things did heat up toward the end when walz and vance went after the top of the ticket, donald trump and kamala harris. >> we don't want to blame immigrants for higher housing prices, but we do want to blame kamala harris for letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country which does drive up costs, tim. 25 million illegal americans compaliens competing with americans. >> donald trump had four years to do this, and he promised you, america, how easy it would be. i'l i'll build you a big beautiful wall and mexico will pay for it. less than 2% got built and mexico didn't pay a dime. as far as the deportation plan, at one point, senator vance said

it was so unworkable to be laughable. so that's where we're at. pass the bill, she'll sign it. >> reporter: and, with what we believe will now be the final debate now behind us, it's full steam ahead to 2024 election day. just a little more than a month. frances? >> alice barr mofor us, thank y. dramatic scenes in the middle east with iran firing nearly 200 ballistic mitchs at israel. the vice presidential candidates addressing the crisis at last night's debate, each laying the blame on the other party. >> donald trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence. people were afraid of stepping out of line. iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets, thanks to the kamala harris administration. >> we had a coalition of nations that had boxed iran's nuclear program in. the inability to advance it. donald trump pulled that program

and put nothing else in its place. >> for the latest, let's go to claudio lavanga. break down the events that led to this attack. >> reporter: good morning, frances. well, the iranian revolutionary guard laid out in a statement exactly why they attacked now. they said this was in retaliation to the killing of ismail haniyeh, the political leader of hamas who was killed in tehran last july, also for in retaliation of the killing of ha hassan nasrallah killed on friday in beirut. as they said in a statement, the massacring of people in both lebanon and gaza. the iranian mission to the united nations also said this was a legal and legitimate response to the threat by israel to iran's foreign and national interests as well as its sovereignty. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu said that he would, israel will retaliate against

their attack, saying that iran made a big mistake and they will pay for it. and, in response, the iranian president pezeshkian said that iran is not seeking for war, but at the same time warned israel not to respond, because he said that what happened on tuesday was only a glimpse of what iran is capable of. now there were no casualties reported from iran's attack on tuesday, apart from a couple people who got hurt when the shrapnel from those missiles were intercepted in the air fell on the ground. perhaps the deadliest attack on israeli soil on tuesday was carried out on the ground by two men who opened fire at a tram station in tel aviv, killing at least six people and wounding 20 others. now that attack was claimed by the palestinian islamic jihad, frances. >> all right, thank you so much, claudio. new this morning, rap music

mogul sean "diddy" combs has been hit with 120 new sexual assault allegations. they are expected to be filed in a set of upcoming lawsuits. some of the allegations go back 20 years, and some involve minors. diddy's lawyer denied the accusations, categorically. he has already been charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. he has pleaded not guilty and is currently in prison in a bro brooklyn, new york jail awaiting trial. the death toll in helene now reaching at least 151. and more than a million customers are still in the dark this morning. today president biden will head to the carolinas to meet first responders and tour areas hit by helene. sam brock is there in 45hard-hi asheville. >> reporter: the crises in north carolina are too many to count.

water at the top of the list. behind you is this effort to disseminate water. how critical is it for families like yours? >> it's very critical, you know. >> i mean, like, we got a baby. he eats oatmeal, he, you know, he's a priority for us. >> reporter: is it a lifeline right now? >> absolutely. >> reporter: parents and loved ones coming to one of four community sites where supplies are strlowly strictling in and neighbors stepping up. but complications abound. all three water plants are compromised. with the pipes to distribute the water washed away. >> you don't realize how thirsty you are, at home you turn the faucet on, you flush the toilet. you spit in the sink and use your good water to rinse the sink out. >> reporter: frustration with fema reaching a boiling point of its own. >> there's no water, no internet, no food. >> reporter: the agency has already delivered a million liters of water and 600,000

meals to north carolinians and promises of more on the way. >> many people were waiting for days, trying to get in touch with loved ones. and thankfully, many of them have. >> reporter: on the ground, shelters are teeming. >> we do not have the resources available. >> reporter: with 75-year-old cyn cynthia dunne who clung to a mattress. >> everything's gone. my hearing aids. i lost my keys. >> reporter: other displaced residents wait in long lines at gas stations and grocery stores. patrice picking up essentials and telling us how she's charging her father's oxygen machine in the car. he's on dialysis. >> we've been very blessed and very fortunate. it was just me passing by and seeing that his dialysis clinic was open. but i, everybody doesn't have the ability to ride by. >> thank you. a fall front is moving into

the northeast this morning. nbc meteorologist michelle grossmann is tracking it for us. i was asking about that so i can make my plans. >> good morning, great to see you. it's going to bring a few showers this morning. that threat should diminish by later on this afternoon. once it sweeps through, we'll have a really nice day, thursday, friday into the weekend. down to the gulf we're looking at a disorganized system, storms, showers that are going to come into florida. some could be heavy. you could see stormy weather with that. as we go towards tomorrow, we're going to see showers and storms along the gulf coast, by this weekend we'll see heavier rain into florida. we're still tracking really hot temperatures. 36 million under heat alerts. this is why we're going to see temperatures soaring into th d w

for showers and storms in florida today, 88 in orlando. all right, that's your wednesday forecast. >> thanks so much, michelle. see you in a bit. "early today" is back in a minute with the big changes brewing. and the sse maivstrike at ports along the east coast could impact the price you pay at the store. you've been in there forever! i'm trying! this cheap stuff is too thin! i told you not to get the other toilet paper. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! wooho! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. what's everybody waiting for? this? ok hon, we know you're clean. we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. can neuriva support your brain health? mary. janet. hey! eddie. no! fraser. frank. frank. fred. how are you? support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory.

when you need to remember, remember neuriva. welcome back. two major news websites are putting up a paywall. but first a milestone brewing for the starbucks barista union push. good morning , arabile. >> good morning, frances. starbucks workers union, that's the union formed of course just around 2021, was it. and in bellingham, washington, it's the 500th store to join the union since the first location was unionized.

11,000 baristas have joined the union. the company saying they actually support the rights of workers to join unions as well, then, adding 100 new locations, which have been successfully unionized in the past six months. so conversations between the union and the company indeed still flowing very well. on the other side, you made note of the paywall discussion. cnn is set to start asking users to pay a monthly fee of around cnn. clearly the subscription model coming to the fore. the big question mark, it is a full space. does that mean that competition may eke out not much more of that revenue. >> arabile, thank you. negotiators are racing to forge a deal to end the strike that's brought 14 major u.s. ports to a stand still. tens of thousands of dockworkers

on the picket line this morning demanding better pay and job security. kristine romans looks at the economic impact. >> reporter: cranes idle. dockworkers striking for the first time in hmalmost 50 years. the union rejecting a 50% pay increase over six years an offer the alliance says exceeds every other settlement and says this is a completely avoidable strike. the dockworkers demanding restrictions on automation for the cranes, gates and trucks at the ports to make sure technology doesn't replace their jobs. >> nothing's going to move without us! >> and we're going to keep this thing going every day! >> reporter: the longer the strike goes on, the more you'll feel it. retailers and importers are scrambling to move their product the, already raising freight costs. that could raise prices for

consumers. rev every day a concern for this woman. >> it's scary, because in two months, if i can't get all of the ingredients that i need for my product, i'm going to have to just let my, my customers know that i have to put a pause on, on producing my products. >> reporter: these ports behind me are critical for you being able to keep your business running. >> absolutely. a lot of businesses can go under because of this. >> reporter: manufacturers and retailers want the white house to step in and break the strike. the white house said the impact on consumers would be limited for food, fuel and medicine but said collective bargaining was the best way to reach a deal. >> our thanks to kristine for that report. still to come, you can't keep a three-time oscar winner down. fd t what's bringing daniel day lewis out of his seven-year cinematic retirement. metamucil's psyllium fiber helps keep your digestive system moving so you can feel lighter and more energetic. metamucil keeps you movin'. and try fizzing fiber plus vitamins. (mom) let me see my new grand-dog!

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i cannot begin my day with a confrontation. please. i'm delivering the dress today.

and i can't take up space with confrontation. i simply don't have time for confrontations. >> one of our greatest living actors is finally making a comeback, focus features confirmed that daniel day lewis is coming out of retirement. the three-time oscar winner will appear in the film "anemone", the directional debut of his son ronan lewis. he has not appeared since 2017, and it's kind of a family thing. his wife actually directed him in 2005 for that drama, the ballad of jack and rose. not one of his best-known movies. but how cool is it for him to come back and work with his son. >> it's awesome to see him back and awesome that he's doing it for rowan. the greatest quarterback of all time is putting some of his hardware up for sale. a collection of watches is going on the auction block at

sotheby's this december. the watches are expected to sell for as low as $8,12,000 and as high as $800,000. >> he's got watches, jerseys, all kinds of stuff. coming up, we'll remember a tvegd lenand howell su's tiger mascot could come roaring back to life on the field. ♪ that always shines on me. ♪ ♪ there's a way ♪ ♪ everybody say. ♪ ♪ oh... ♪ ♪ you must know what it's like. ♪ ♪ baby, you must know what it's like ♪ ♪ to love somebody. ♪ ♪ to love somebody. ♪ ♪ the way i love you. ♪ ♪♪ if you're frustrated... ...with occasional bloating or gas... ...your body's giving you signs, it's time to try align.

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here's what's making headlines this morning. florida has enacted a new law banning homeless people from sleeping on sidewalks or parks or other public places. cities and counties are required to provide temporary shelter and provide drug and mental health treatments. cvs plans to cut some positions to reduce costs. it will not affect frontline workers or pharmacies or

distribution centers. the tradition is being restarted to bring lsu's live mascot back on to the field. and drone footage shows how whales find aneafo. d t od 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. can neuriva support your brain health? mary. janet. hey! eddie. no! fraser. frank. frank. fred. how are you? support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. beloved actor john amos has died. he starred as the stern patriarch on the 1974 sitcom "good times." shortly after he landed the role of an adult kunta kinte in

"roots", earning his first emmy nomination. his ca his career spanned over five decades, starring in films like "coming to america", and "let's do it again". the star passed away back in august. he he was 84 years old. turning to the testament of a father's love. a determined dad walked 27 miles, 17 of them on foot, through hurricane helene debris to make sure he was able walk his daughter down the aisle. sam perez from our knoxville, tennessee affiliate has the heartwarming story. >> reporter: how far would a father's love go? for david jones, 27 miles through a hurricane to walk his daughter down the aisle . i spent some time with him to find out about his determination. >> every dad wants to walk his daughter down the aisle. so i got my chance. >> reporter: david jones hit the road friday night, heading to his daughter elizabeth's wedding in johnson city.

>> that's usually a two-hour drive. it didn't occur to me that there would be any trouble. >> reporter: around 2:00 a.m. when he got to a crumbled bridge, he got stuck in erwin. >> it's complete, missing bridge, and the gap, and the rushing water underneath. >> reporter: jones, a marathon runner, was determined to get there, even if it meant walking the rest of the way to the church. >> i thought, 20 or 30 miles, i can do this. and so off i went. >> reporter: he says he fell waist-deep into sand. he climbed roots and trekked through mud and ran into law enforcement officers who advised him to turn around. his response? >> i said, well, you don't understand. my daughter's getting married at 11:00 this morning, and i'm going to be there to walk her down the aisle. >> reporter: jones says he traveled about 17 miles on foot and hitched a ride from a trooper and a passerby for the remaining 10 miles, finally arriving at the church at

7:30 a.m. >> dad was doing his dad thing and taking every measure he could to be there, but i had no idea. he walked me down the aisle. it meant the world, because i'm really close with my dad. we're so similar, and he's always been there for me. >> reporter: walking miles for that memory. in johnson city, i'm sam perez. >> that's what dads do. so incredible. thanks for watching "early today." i'm frances rivera, have a great wednesday.

a battle over the midwest vp picks. tim walz and jd vance sparring at their first and possibly only vice presidential debate. clashing on reproductive