with just three weeks until election day, the race couldn't be any tightetighter.

kamala harris and donald trump now neck and neck. new details on an arrest outside a trump rally in californiaful. u.n. peacekeepers injured in israeli fire, amid the idf growing campaign against hezbollah in lebanon. and milton's deadly aftermath. president biden gets a firsthand look at the devastation in florida as residents begin picking up the pieces. his new pledge to rebuild the storm-battered region. spacex makes history with a catch. the unprecedented dramatic landing for the company's starship rocket booster. the bengals bring down the giants in sunday night spotlight. a big win for cincinnati, and all the other highlights from week six in the nfl. and the chance encounter that led to a miracle gift this pastor will never forget. it's monday, october 14th. "early today" starts right now.

good morning. i'm christina ruffini, and there are only 22 days left in the countdown to election day. and the race could not be any tighter. new polling from nbc news shows a statistical dead heat between vice president kamala harris and former president donald trump. nbc's alice barr joins us now. alice, good morning. when you dig into this poll, what else does it tell us about the state of this race? >> christina, good morning. we are seeing a major gender gap between the two candidates. vice president harris is ahead with women by 14 points, while former president trump has a 16-point advantage among men. we're also seeing razor-thin margins in those all important battleground states that the campaigns have been so focused on. and on the issues, former president trump continues to dominate when it comes to immigration and the economy while vice president harris is stronger on the issue of abortion and more voters see her as the candidate of change.

there was another security concern for former president trump saturday at his rally in coachella, california. we're learning new details about the armed man who was arrested a quarter mile away from that event. 48-year-old vem miller was taken into custody. officials say he had a legal possession of a loaded handgun, shotgun, and high capacity magazine. in an interview with fox news by phone, miller says that he always travels with firearms, and that he supports donald trump. miller was released on $5,000 bond, and a law enforcement source tells nbc news this is not being investigated as an assassination attempt. the local sheriff explained why miller was seen as a threat. >> what we do know is he showed up with multiple passports with different names, an unregistered vehicle with fake license plate, and loaded firearms.

>> vice president harris spent sunday campaigning in north carolina at a packed rally. she accused donald trump of not being transparent with his medical records after she released a report, including a physician's note saying she is in excellent health. a spokesperson for former president trump says that he is in perfect health and pointing to his busy campaign schedule, both harris and trump have campaign events later today in pennsylvania, that critical, critical state. christina? >> alice, thanks for getting up early and keeping us on top of the race. donald trump was focused again on immigration last night at a rally in arizona. the national border patrol council gave the republican nominee their endorsement. mr. trump announced that he plans to hire 10,000 more border agents if elected and asked congress to give agents a 10% raise. the harris campaign has been attacking mr. trump for pressuring lawmakers to kill a bipartisan border security bill that also would have a increased

staffing. a spokesperson says mr. trump opposed that bill because it was an amnesty legislation. florida is still reeling after hurricane milton. the category 3 storm that barreled the western part of the state last week. there has been 17 confirmed deaths and nearly half a million people are still without power. but more help may be on the way. on sunday, president biden surveyed the storm-battered state for a second time in just two weeks, announcing over $600 million to rebuild florida and the other states affected by hurricanes helene and milton. >> thankfully, the storm's impact was not as cataclysmic as we predicted. but for some individuals, it was cataclysmic. all those folks who not only lost their homes, but more importantly those folks who lost their lives, lost family members, lost all their personal belongings. and it's moment likes this we come together to take care of each other. not as democrats or republicans, but as americans.

>> on saturday, florida governor ron desantis also addressed the state's need for fuel, announcing free fuel distribution depots in plant city, bradentown and superb, with more to come. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has called on the u.n. peacekeeping mission in southern lebanon to pull out forces for what he says is their own safety. it comes as israel intensifies its assault on hezbollah positions in the area. here is matt bradley. >> reporter: israel continues to pound hezbollah targets in lebanon as the idf orders residents of 21 more lebanese villages to evacuate, and a hezbollah drone strike on central israel killed four israeli soldiers and injured at least 50 people. the u.s. approved the deployment of a thaad anti-missile battery to help israel defend itself against iranian ballistic missiles, but they have also turned their guns in lebanon. two israeli tanks destroyed a position and forcibly entered.

the latest in a string of israeli attacks that injured more than a dozen u.n. troops in the past week. israel's military has repeatedly asked the peacekeepers to move, but deny it's targeting them. "it's time for you to remove u.n. peacekeepers from hezbollah strongholds and from the fighting areas", benjamin netanyahu told the u.n. do you feel as though some of these incidents might be retaliation for the decision to hold their ground? >> we can just look at the situation on the ground. and at the events. we were asked to leave from all of these positions close to the blue line. and immediately after, a few days later, our peacekeepers and our positions were targeted, and targeted not because there was an ongoing exchanges of fire. >> reporter: the israelis he said offered no specific warnings to u.n. troops before they opened fire, turning peacekeepers into casualties of war. matt bradley, nbc news, beirut, lebanon. a man was shot dead and nine other people were wounded when

gunfire broke out after a tennessee state university home coming parade on saturday. two groups started shooting at each other as the crowds were thinning out according to nashville police. three of those shot are children between 12 and 14 years old. now none of the injuries are believed to be critical. it's not clear how many people fired the shots, but police believe at least one shooter was hospitalized. a man accused of posing as a utility worker is now charged with murder in a home invasion in suburban detroit on friday. the oakland county sheriffs say two intruders tied up a 70-year-old woman and took her husband down to the basement where police later found him dead. the second suspect is still on the loose. investigators say the couple owned a jewelry and pawnshop and may have been targeted for that reason. spacex just pulled off a giant catch for mankind. >> i don't know about you, but we're losing our -- here. >> guys, i'm sorry, even in this

day and age, what we just saw, that looked like magic. >> so on sunday, after a test flight of the starship rocket, its 232-foot booster flew back to the launch pad where these giant chopstick-like arms caught it. the groundbreaking landing marks a new milestone for the starship. a cold front is blowing towards the northeast this morning, and nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is on top of it, and she is here with a look at all the weather for the week ahead. michelle, good morning. what have you got? >> good morning, christina. yeah, we're looking at showers in parts of the northeast, new england, even the upper midwest. even some snow showers in the upper -- the mountains. and we're seeing some snow later on in the rockies as well. so this is what it looks like for today. a chilly start in the northern plains. warm and sunny throughout the south central states. lots of sunshine today, across the country, especially across the south. we're looking at rain in parts of the pacific northwest, the front that is moving through and eventually will move through to the intermountain west tomorrow.

as we near wednesday, another quiet day once again. wet and cooler in parts of northern california. more record-breaking temperatures. october warm throughout portions of the intermountain west. fall chill throughout the southeast. temperatures only in the 50s in the midatlantic. 40s in parts of the great lakes. certainly feeling like october there. as we look at friday, a busier day in parts of the rockies. see all the blue, the white, where the mountain snow will fall. look at rain throughout the four corners as well. sunny throughout the atlantic, the northeast, parts of new england d scanat we're looking a sunshine across the south. 100 degrees in phoenix. 90 in san angelo. 83 in lubbock. all right. that's your monday forecast. >> thanks, michelle.

i think we can make do with that. in other cheerful news, olympian noah lyle is engaged to junelle bromfield, announcing the news on instagram. they've been together since 2022. their engagement comes months after the pair competed at the 2024 paris games. coming up, we remember a pivotal figure in the fight for equal pay, and a political football. we head to a tailgate to find out more young men are rallying behind donald trump. a chewy order is on the way for (interrupted by dog)... (dog howls) roo. who can speak for himself. but can't shop for himself. so when he gave his roo of approval of the food dad bought on chewy, dad put it on autoship. so it always gets delivered, right on roo's schedule. the flavor roo loves. the savings they love. (dog howls)

for automatic delivery and 5% savings. for life with pets, there's chewy. 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. 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. our latest nbc news poll is showing a big gender gap with young men shifting their support to donald trump. nbc's shaquille brewster went tailgating in georgia to find out why. >> reporter: before kickoff in

atlanta -- >> cheers! >> almost everyone tailgating is a falcons fan. >> i'm with nbc news. we're trying to talk to young voters. >> reporter: and among young men at this nfl stadium in a battleground state. >> probably i'll vote. probably for trump. >> trump. >> reporter: throwing support for former trump. why donald trump? >> i enjoyed his policies, and he did treat us pretty well. >> reporter: for generations, the youth vote has favored democrats. >> you go first. >> reporter: but this year -- >> does it feel like more young people are becoming conservative or trending in that direction? >> definitely. >> reporter: it's a gap that's shrinking with young men driving that shift. vice president kamala harris' lead among men 18 to 29 now within the margin of error. >> why president harris? >> i'm not voting for anybody else. >> reporter: but president biden won young men by 11 points in 2020 exit polls. for many of them, it's all about

one issue. >> the obvious issue is the economy. >> reporter: the issue you care most about. >> the economy. >> reporter: the economic a top issue for you? why? >> i mean, i'm working and i live alone. so that's a big part for me. >> reporter: you see more excitement among young men for your message? >> yes. >> reporter: dante thompson is the executive director of the georgia young republicans. he and his volunteers are hitting the economy message hard. >> men want to be in control of their own destiny. and those are the talking points we use when we talk to them. >> reporter: former president trump chasing the demographic, making multiple appearances at ufc fights, and doing a round of podcasts with hosts popular. >> thank you, president. >> reporter: and while republicans say they see a lot long-term opportunity in young people, democrats say they're working to make up lost ground. >> very aware of it. the democratic party is making efforts to correct it. >> reporter: devonte jennings leads the young democrats of georgia. >> got to be in the trenches talking to people, letting them

know what the issues are, where you stand with the issues and how you're actually going care for them. >> reporter: kamala harris recently appearing in a popular nba podcast. >> it is so good. >> reporter: both campaigns drawing up their final plays to win this group that could decide the presidency. shaquille brewster, nbc news, atlanta. one of the most prominent figures in the fight for equal pay has died. lilly ledbetter sued goodyear where she worked for 19 years after learning she was paid significantly left with similar roles and seniority. her fight went all the way up to the supreme court in 2007. and although she didn't win and the justices didn't side with her, her fight led to the lilly ledbetter fair pay act, which was the first piece of legislation signed into law by president barack obama in 2009. ledbetter's family said she died peacefully in her sleep surround by loved ones. she was 86 years old. still to come, the bengals and giants slug it out on sunday

night football. and there is only one big d in dallas, and it stands for detroit. more on the lions reporting for a blowout win. iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better. six digestive symptoms. the power of nature. iberogast. this charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy edges. it's no ordinary square. charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better, with more cushiony softness. enjoy the go, with charmin. what do you talk about? the news? sports? a little family gossip maybe?

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the bottom of the screen. joe taking off. might take it all the way. inside the 10, bury throw the pylon! >> joe burrow became joe turbo as he opened up scoring for the bengals on sunday night football against the giants. new york's defense stifled cinci over the next two quarters before running back tyronne tracy tied in the third. daniel jones couldn't finish and a late offense sealed the win for cincinnati, 17-7. it only took a trip across the pond for caleb williams to have his breakout game. the first overall pick threw four touchdowns as the bears over the jaguars in london 35-16.

now in the big easy, the points came big and easy for the buccaneers. baker and the bucs dropped 51 points on the saints, for foiling the first start for new orleans for spencer rattler. in the battle of the dmv, it took a rookie to stop one of the rookie quarterback, lamar jackson, the ravens put an end to the commanders' four-game winning streak. and the lions had a answer to the question, how about them cowboys. the lions dismantled dallas in front of their home crowd, scoring five touchdowns and picking off dak prescott twice. the 47-9 drubbing. was the fourth consecutive blowout loss for the cowboys at home. now sunday sports blow outs weren't limited to just football. the dodgers dominated the first gym of the nlcs against the mets. l.a. scored nine runs with three of them coming in the fourth, while pitching held them at just three hits, tying the record for scoreless innings in the postseason. the amazins will look to rebound from the shut-out start in game

2 tonight. leave to it the ladies to provide sunday's one bright spot for new york sports teams. the new york liberty rebounded from thursday's heartbreaking game one loss to the minnesota lynx in the wnba finals. breanna stewart led her squad with 21 points while new york went on 12-0 run in the final minutes. the series moves to minnesota for game three on wednesday. when we come back, why delta had to instate a ground stop on all hot meals in detroit. and microsoft's new ai-powered health care tools are just what the doctor ordered. ht♪ ♪ 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. ♪ ♪♪

[♪♪] 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. donald trump handpicked his white house team. now, the people who knew him best say he's too unstable to lead. here's his national security advisor: “donald trump will cause a lot of damage.” and his defense secretary: “do you think trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again?” “no. i mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk.” take it from the people who knew him best. donald trump is too big a risk for america. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. 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.

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food safety issue at one of its cat catering kitchens. and microsoft just announced newai tools to help doctors and nurses with administrative tasks. they include medical imaging models, health care service agents and automated documentation. and the independent slasher film "terrifier 3 raking in more than 18 million in its opening weekend. can a body wash transform your chest,

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pastor a second chance at life, here is hallie jackson. >> when utah pastor schiller joseph opened this mystery present, he had no idea that inside was the gift of life he'd been praying for, a sign letting him know he was getting a new kidney. and how he got it is something he and kidney donor krissy miller call a miracle. the two strangers met last year completely by chance. both happened to be hiking up the same mountain, asking god for a sign. on that mountain that day, both of you had prayers answered. >> yes. very much. very, very much. >> it's like i'm waiting to receive a kidney, and that's when it was like -- >> yes. >> even now, i'm just makes me emotional. i just knew that was the answer to my prayer. >> krissy, a mom of four had tried to donate her kidney

before, but wasn't able. still, she fell in love with the idea of being able to save a life. so when she met schiller, she knew she would try again. >> not only do i meet him there and that's amazing, but it was also amazing that schiller even brought it up. and this whole conversation happens on the mountain, whole thing? >> yeah. >> the pair matched and their surgery this spring at utah's intermountain medical center a big success. >> i love you so much. >> from strangers to friends. >> you'll always be in my heart. thank you so much. >> the pair forging a bond deeper than either could have imagined. >> it's beyond like a friendship. we're family now. we're family. >> and finaling in each other the strength to carry on in tough times. >> just when i thought i knew what faith was, she showed me. it's really about krissy, you know. it's really her love that guided this story. >> how has this experience changed you? >> physically, i'm the same. i don't feel any different.

but mentally and spiritually, i feel so much better. >> we may look different outside, but inside we're all the same. >> and our thanks to hallie for sharing that story. before we go, here is dylan dreyer with a look at what's ahead. >> this morning on the third hour of today, we're helping you save some money on your monthly rent. plus, a fall start today work out that you can do at home, no weights needed. and i'm cooking with cal, making pumpkin banana muffins on the third hour of "today." >> thanks for kicking off your week very early with "early today." i'm christina ruffini. have a great monday.

2024 race is neck and neck, as we enter the final three week stretch unti