barely two weeks after the

election, and some of president-elect trump's cabinet picks are causing major controversy, with his choice to lead the pentagon admitting that he paid a woman accusing him of sexual assault to stay silent. president biden taking the final international trip of his term, traveling to brazil for the g-20 summit, this as he gives ukraine permission to use american missiles against russia. new wildfires and evacuations in the northeast. dry conditions and winds fueling an elevated fire risk across the region. is there any relief on the way. meteorologist michelle grossman is here with the forecast. two nba stars say their homes were broken into. and dog is man's best friend. but these two recently-adopted shelter pups prove they have a bond like no other. it's monday, november 18.

"early today" starts right now. good morning, glad you're with me. i'm frances rivera. it has been nearly two weeks since the election, and president-elect trump is wasting no time filling his cabinet. with a selection of oil industry chris wright for energy secretary, there are only six cabinet positions left to be named. but many of these choices will be difficult to get confirmed. nbc has the latest on that battle. >> usa, usa! >> reporter: president-elect donald trump at a ufc fight over the weekend. while preparing for his own battle as controversy grows over two of his top cabinet picks. new revelations that mr. trump's choice for defense secretary, pete hegseth, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault and had her sign a non-disclosure agreement. hegseth's attorney saying his client is completely innocent of what he calls a consensual encounter. the washington post reporting the woman's friend sent a memo,

which nbc news has not seen, to the trump team, alleging hegseth raped the then 30-year-old group staffer after drinking at a hotel bar. they investigated the incident when the woman filed a complaint. but the local district attorney did not bring charges. >> we'll figure out if he can get confirmed or not. and i do think pete's a good pick for this position. >> reporter: all this as trump's choice for attorney general, matt gaetz, raises more alarms. lawmakers calling for the ethics committee to release the report into the since-closed probe into illicit drug use. but house speaker johnson insists the report should stay sealed. >> they'll have a rigorous review process. >> reporter: mr. trump is considering howard lutnick and

scott bessant for treasury secretary. elon musk putting his finger on the scale, writing, bessant is a business as usual choice, whereas howard lutnick will actually enact change. the president-elect's latest pick coming saturday. tapping fracking company ceo chris wright as energy secretary. >> and our thanks to ali for that report. today, president biden will attend the g-20 summit in rio de janeiro. it is the last international summit of his presidency, where he is focussing on the stability of u.s. relations. the president made history after first stopping in brazil and touring the amazon rainforest, becoming the first sitting u.s. president to do so. there, he met with local leaders working to preserve the rainforest and spoke about climate change. two u.s. officials say president biden had now let ukraine use long-range missiles supplied by the u.s. to hit inside russia. biden initially resisted the position, concerned it could

escalate russia's war in ukraine into something even larger. well, now president biden officials say that they are alarmed by north korea sending thousands of its own soldiers to help russia. given the sensitivity of this reversal and military operations, the white house and pentagon are not commenting publicly. the family of a man killed by police in aurora, colorado gathered for a vigil over the weekend. they're asking for better mental health training for officers after cory dillard was fatally shot when police found him holding what looked like an assault rifle. it turned out to be an air rifle. from our denver affiliate, colton chavez has more. >> reporter: as flames burned bright in the light, so does the love from cory dillard's family. >> cory was everything to me. you know. he was a genuinely good person. you know, the picture the police paint isn't what he was. >> sometimes good men don't have to deserve to be killed the way he was killed. >> this is my heart.

this is my brother. >> reporter: erica dillard, cory's younger sister says this picture is her brother. >> this is his way out, like the outdoors, flying his drones. like, yeah, i really feel like he was having a mental health crisis, i really do. >> reporter: dillard's father kim says his son served in the military and knew he was going through tough times. >> talked to cory three days before this incident happened. and he explained to me, said, dad, i'm going through some things, but everything is going to be okay. >> reporter: days later, aurora police say dillard got in a parking lot fight with one man and told another woman he was going to kill her. police say dillard was carrying what looked like a deadly weapon. after being told to put it down, that's when investigators say dillard pointed what would later be confirmed as an air rifle at the officers. police opened fire. those in attendance at dillard's vigil now calling for better police training. >> why did you come escalating

the situation instead of deescalating the situation. >> reporter: hoping it inspires others to take care of our veterans. >> it's waiting list here, waiting list there. mental health cannot wait. >> reporter: and lighting the way for change in cory dillard's memory. >> i love him. i miss him so much, and he didn't have to go out that way. >> our thanks to colton chavez for that report. the fbi is investigating a new wave of offensive text messages starting latinos and lgbtq plus people. the messages have not been linked to any violence. the fbi says the texts seem to follow the same themes as previously reported racist text messages sent to black people. some were sent using a service called text now. the company says it is shutting down accounts linked to harassment. now to a consumer alert. an e. coli outbreak linked to

carrots has affected 39 people across 18 states. at least one person died and 15 others were hospitalized. the company recalling its organic whole and baby carrots linked to the outbreak. they were sold in stores including trader joe's and whole foods and wegman's. the baby carrots have a best buy date from september 11 to november 12. the farm's ceo says they're reviewing their growing, harvesting processes. after an e. coli outbreak last month, mcdonald's will invest $100 million. mcdonald's will focus on supporting owners who lost business in the hardest-hit states. about a third of the investment will go toward marketing efforts to bring back customers. the e. coli outbreak was linked to slivered onions in the

restaurant's quarter pounder. more than a hundred people got sick across 14 states, including 37 hospitalizations and one death. the dry and windy conditions across the northeast are going from bad to worst, reigniting the jennings creek fire along the new york-new jersey border. it prompted evacuations saturday out of abundance of caution. george solis is in hard-hit green lake, new york. >> reporter: firefighters in new york and new jersey intensifying efforts to manage the jennings creek wildfire. strong winds saturday night caused the fire to breach the containment line. this is what the inferno looked like early sunday morning. >> the top of the hill's getting brighter. >> higher up. >> reporter: the temporary setback sparking a fast mobilization of first responders and evacuation orders for more than 150 homes in the fire zone. >> they said you got to go. >> reporter: jim johnson and jim howard among the evacuees, watching from across the lake, hoping their homes are spared. >> and you're watching it, inch

by inch, and it's coming toward our houses. what are we going to do? and we can't do anything. >> reporter: the firefight continues from the ground and in the air. the crucial water drops keep the fire under control. residents in the area also worry about the ongoing dry conditions and severe drought. >> we're all on pins and needles, i mean, i could have a fire around my house, too. >> reporter: the battle raging, but some on the front lines pausing to pay their respects to one of their own. new york firefighter, 18-year-old vazquez honored after losing his life last week while trying to fight the fire. the fire danger far from over. >> it ain't over till it's over. >> and our thanks to george for that report. there are storms brewing in the southern plains this morning. nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is here with your monday forecast. good morning, michelle. >> it's a stormy start in parts of the south. we're looking at oklahoma, texas and strong storms this morning. heavy rainfall where you see the darker colors, the brighter

colors. that's where where e're seeing heaviest rain. we could see hail and strong winds where we're seeing that bowing there. this is moving off to the east. we're going to see these strong storms move through as we head throughout the morning hours. this is what it looks like on future cast. the strong front bringing the rain to the plains. we're going to see that severe risk in central texas, that includes dallas. it's going to move throughout the midwest. we're looking at 9 million for severe storms. from dallas to waco. where you see the green, that is a marginal risk. heavy rainfall. this is going to move off tomorrow into the east. so now we're talking about the gulf coast states. also looking at the remnants of sara being pulled into the states. we have the risk of flooding along the gulf coast states and winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour. could see an isolated tornado or two. but we are looking at lots of rainfall by we the northeast.

temperatures into the mid-60s, well above average for this time of year. 68 in d.c. all right, that's your monday forecast. >> thanks so much, michelle. bengals fans almost got the comeback of century on sunday night football. >> second and ten, chargers bring four. burrow retreats, directs, fires for chase! he's got it! touchdown cincinnati! the combo connects again! and the bengals right back in this one! >> the bengals were down 6 to 24 against the chargers when joe burrow took over and cinci stormed back to tie it 27-27 in

the fourth. but it was another heartbreaker for the bengals. jk dobbins scored a td in the final seconds to ice the game, 34-27. "early today" is back in 60 seconds with a possible crime ring targeting star athletes, and jake paul and kemi tyson step into the ring. the real winner was netflix. [laughters] mom. ♪♪ mmmmmmm. repeat the sounding joy. [laughters] kinder joy. [laughters] open a world of surprise. 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. sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪

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mahomes and ce's homes were hit. point guard mike holley jr. and milwaukee bucks' bobby porter jr. >> they took most of my prized possessions. >> reporter: portis taking to instagram after catching surveillance video of the robbers. asking people to listen to their voices for potential clues. >> i am now offering a 40k cash reward for any information or tips that lead to the return of my stolen items. >> reporter: the police chief involved in portis' case telling wsin 12 news on friday there are striking similarities between all four burglaries, adding that his department is in touch with investigators from each state and the fbi. >> obviously, it's frustrating.

it's disappointing. but, i mean, i can't get into too many details because the investigation is still ongoing. >> reporter: in all four burglaries, no one was home. nbc ews also reached out to the fbi for comment on the potential connection. we have yet to hear back. >> our thanks to dana for that report. still to come, it was a record-breaking match between meek tyson and jake paul over the weekend. and, a long-lost album after the break. soriasis symptoms define me... emerge as you, with clearer skin. with tremfya®, most people saw 100% clear skin... ...that stayed clear, even at 5 years. serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. emerge with clear skin. ask your doctor about tremfya®. ♪♪ ♪♪

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jake paul, 12 of 53. coming aggressively. tyson stepping up at 34. 18%. >> so the boxing match punched above its weight for netflix. 60 million households tuned in to watch paul's victory over the boxing legend. and it was streamed in more than

6,000 bars and restaurants in the u.s., setting the record for the largest commercial distribution. gate receipts surpassed 18 million in revenue, making it the biggest boxing match in history outside of nevada. so well worth it, given at the beginning it was a rocky start with the buffering issues. a lot of people were like, how we going to watch this fight? >> the watch parties. and the slap at the beginning, did you see that? well, a long-awaited album could be on the way from the late mac miller. a two and a half-minute trailer aired. it would arrive soon, they said. the artwork includes an image painted by aline smith. smith published a similar image to the website with the comment "need this."

>> some chills, i'm sure, goosebumps waiting for the album. a 35,000 old cat, and how the postal service is honoring a golden girl. and their families with life-changing programs and services. i faced my ptsd, and i'm a better husband and father because of it. we help warriors get the expert care and support to thrive. i got involved. i got healthier. i got to be an athlete again. through our programs, community and advocacy, we're proving anything is possible. learn more at wounded warriorproject.org/connect ♪♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors. hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release

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mucinex 12 hour treats the mucus that causes chest congestion for all-day relief. ahhh! mucinex in, mucus out! treat the cause. here's what's making headlines on this monday morning. the cdc has confirmed oregon's first human case of bird flu. the affected person is linked to a commercial poultry operation in the state. while research has shown that sitting for long hours is bad for your health, a new study says standing may not be much better. standing for more than two hours a day, like people in standing desks often do, did not protect against the cardiovascular risks of sitting too long. standing has potential risks like developing varicose veins, abnormally low blood pressure and blood clots. scientists uncovered the

mummy of a 35,000 year old kit claws. it went extent during the last ice age. the u.s. postal service is honoring betty white with her own stamp. it will be 2025 forever stamp. "early today" will be right ck. mom's gonna love this! alright kids come on. it's time for bed! ( ♪♪ ) good morning, mr. snuggles. make breakfast special with the cocoa and hazelnutty goodness of nutella. ( ♪♪ ) did you know, sweat from stress anis actually smelliers than other kinds of sweat? that's why i use secret clinical antiperspirant. it works on sweat from: stress, heat and activity. it provides 3x stress sweat protection.

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towering presence in the sport helping to make olympic champions out of young athletes like nadia come nichy. bela karolyi was 82 years old. now to a pair of four-legged best friends. two dogs at a south carolina shelter have found a new home, thanks to their very special bond. from our greenville affiliate, sidney shadricks has the story. >> reporter: riley and boon, for lack of a better term are very special dogs. two adult dogs at the greenville humane society, waiting more than 400 days collectively. >> riley was over 300 days, and sydney close to 200. >> reporter: spending months watching other dogs leave the shelter, these two finding family in one another.

>> boon kind of helped riley come out of her shell. it was so cute. >> reporter: one day it became time for riley to leave the shelter to go to her own home. >> she really needed a fair shot. and i thought we have the capacity to give a dog a fair shot. >> reporter: the question, what would happen to her friend boon. >> we actually had been pushing riley to go home with another dog. >> reporter: the adopters opened to the idea of two dogs, and it didn't take long to decide who the second dog would be. >> they brought out boon, and she was like a totally different dog. >> reporter: the two not just able to find a place to call home but a place to call home together. >> i don't know that i could necessarily say that dogs have best friends, but these two have definitely shown us that there's something more there. >> reporter: riley, now dakota and boon able to bring double

the love, laughs and friendship to their forever family. >> it's a huge success for them to be out of the shelter and stuff. but honestly, i would say we've probably won this. >> yeah. >> this deal here. >> forever home, friends and family. our thanks to that report, for that report. before we go, let's get to dylan drier with a look at what else is ahead on "today". >> this morning on the third hour of "today", creative ways to spend less this holiday season. and diy projects to prepare our homes for the winter season. that's all coming up this morning on the third hour of "today." >> thanks so much for starting your week with "early today." i'm frances rivera. hope you have a great monday. see you back here early tomorrow.