sa it is here now. we can we build a home, we can rebuild a business. we cannot rebuild your life. >> her mmine slams florida. three states declare a state of emergency. thousands take to the streets many complaining they are hungry as venezuela looks for stability. >> kaep nick continues his anthem protest. and it's this comment from msnbc that set the twitter on fire. >> wait a minute.

back in the space race. and a warning for parents of kids who take school buses and a whole lot more on a business friday, "early today" starts right now. good to be with you this morning. hurricane hermine is pounding florida's gulf coast after making landfall just hours ago. the category one hurricane is the state's first in over a decade bearing down with torrential rain, 80-mile-per-hour wind and life the gulf coast is standing as new jersey braces for hermine. weave got coverage tracking the storm. hermine is expected to barrel across georgia later today so how is the state prepared? >> reporter: yeah, weaver got schools closed across this region. 54 counties right now declared states of emergencies as the storm starts to move in.

to pick up just a bit. nothing like we expect to see the next few hours here. there is a big concern about tornados along the leading edge of this system as well as power outages. we know the strong winds have brought down trees and caused inland flooding already. that is what they're prepared for this morning. they are preparing for the worst, hoping for the best here obviously like so through the southeast here, but up and along the east coast and i know bill is going to talk more about that. here, what we do expect to see is some more of that low area flooding, power outages are going to be a concern and again, a lot of businesses packing up and closing down yesterday saying not worth taking the chance with this storm moving in. >> a long day and even a long weekend, holiday weekend. thank you so much. now we turn to bill karins who's tracking the storm.

over the next few days. cedar creek florida had a storm surge of 6 feet. that's a record for them. significant damage from the storm surge right where the storm made landfall just to the east of there. the storm is now crossing into georgia. the strongest winds are in southern georgia and that's where power is going out this morning, that's the most likely spot. heading to the east and it should be north of savannah as we go throughout the noon hour. located to the north of charleston. should be tropical storm force, minor power outages likely with that. then the storm saturday morning, the winds are down to 50 miles per hour. and some good news for the northeast. the storm track a little further off the coast. may avoid the very heavy rains but the surf will be rough with rip currents right through the holiday weekend. >> thank you. enough is enough for

venezuelans who filled the streets demanding a recall election to remove their president from power. surging crime and staggering inflation, people are hungry. military and police forces were in full force with their president accusing organizers of planning a coup. opposition leaders say this will be the first of many as they push colin kaepernick isn't backing down. the 49ers quarterback chose to protest during the national anthem and this time he wasn't alone. teammate took a knee next to him many the silent protest. the pair was met with booing from the crowd and apparently it's seattle sea hawks

he says he won't stand up to show pride for a country who oppresses black people and people of color. donald trump makes a complete reversal after wednesday's hard line immigration speech. >> so what happens is this. we're going to strengthen the border, make it really, really strong. we're going to build the wall. we're going to get rid of all of the bad players that are here, the gang members, the gang leaders, the drug leaders. after that takes place we're going t s we're going to see where we are because we'll have people in the country that, you know that have come in illegally. we're going to sit back, we're going to assess the situation, we're going to make a decision at that time. >> trump the decision comes as some hispanic leaders who once backed the billionaire find themselves dazed and confused after his immigration softening turned out to be anything but. >> there was nothing probusiness in that speech last night.

of a prop apparatus for mr. trump. >> but trump says critics simply didn't understand his immigration speech. and new this morning critics are pouncing after the founder of latinos for trump made this head snapping comment on msnbc. >> what is he talking about. >> my culture is a very dominant culture. and it's causing problems. if you don't do it you're going to have taco trucks every corner. >> wait a minute. i'm sorry. hold on a second. i have to let -- i don't even know what that means and i'm afraid to ask. >> i'm offended. >> it all comes as trump is set to hold his first intercity event. and the new york times is now reporting on the extent to which campaign staffers have

script for an interview with the pastor. the times also revealed the tam pain's right to approve the session's final edit. a trump staffer said they would not edit the interview. it highlights the sensitivity of the event and the pitfalls waiting for the republican nominee and the clinton campaign had a statement that says outreach to african americans trump is expected to speak directly to the congregation. he will also go on a walking tour with detroit native ben carson. hillary clinton has her best fund raising month nabbing $143 million in august and it highlights how scarce clinton has been on the trail focusing on fund raisers rather than public appearances on the trump.

in the last two weeks. and new this morning the state department says clinton's official schedules from her time as the country's top diplomat will be released before election today. several schedules were already the basis of a damning report who says that those clinton met with were also doe nay torrs to he >> reporter: vice president biden has been out campaigning for her in ohio is being asked about those ties between the state department and the clinton foundation and whether or not the way they were handled by the foundation was ethical. >> has the cluninton foundation always been unearth.

and adjust to the realities of how complicated it's all become. >> and is she clearing herself up enough with that? should the foundation have stopped taking foreign donations now? >> i think you'll see them stop taking foreign donations. >> reporter: new this morning we have learned that clinton will start traveling on her press plane. on monday she's been criticized for not giving enough access to the press. she's not had one news conference all year long. now she'll be traveling with the questions enroute. >> we'll see what those questions are. thank you. nbc and msnbc along with iraq and afghanistan veterans of america will host the first ever commander in chief forum with both clinton and trump. the event will be moderated by "today's" matt lauer. melania trump filed a suit

they made inflammatory statements about her involvement in an escort service. one is retracting its story saying quote, the article did not intend to suggest that these allegations are true. nor did it intend to state or suggest that mrs. trump ever worked as an escort or in the sex business. just ahead, the incredible space x launch pad explosion. what went wrong? but first here's bill kar >> well, the damage yet to come will most likely come from heavy rains expected eastern areas of south carolina. storm surge is over with for the most part in florida but we'll also have to watch during the day today in north carolina, south carolina and georgia. here's a closer look at the day ahead. well, we are going to continue to watch temperatures dropping in areas of texas and louisiana.

the worst of the weather is in northern georgia and southern florida and that will transfer to south carolina during the day today. and take a look at this. this is a ring of fire. time lapse video of a partial solar eclipse. how cool is that? it's caused by the moon moving between the sun and the earth. it lasted about three minutes. it takes place about once every 18 months. "early today" back in two. peope clean sheets. really fresh. oooh, this is hot! what if we told you we washed these sheets 7 days ago. really? no way are you serious? oh! no way! downy? uh. gimme! downy fabric conditioner. give us a week, and we'll change your bed forever. want more freshness? add new downy fresh protect. it's like deodorant for your clothes. downy, wash in the wow

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and son overdosed on heroin along a busy highway. >> come on, buddy. come on. >> state troopers arrived on the scene to find the two men unresponsive. they were joined by a nurse passing by just at the right time with narcan on hand. multiple doses were administered with both men eventually coming around. emergency crews transported them to a local hospital. the driver was later charged for drug possession and driving under space x are trying to figure out what went wrong during a test of an unmanned rocket that caused it to suddenly explode on the launch pad in cape canaveral. the blast started in the upper stage oxygen tank. it significantly damaged the launch pad. the rocket was scheduled to launch an israeli communications satellite. facebook had hoped to use it to

protests are expected outside the santa clara jail where brock turner is scheduled to be released. he served just 90 days of a six-month sentence for sexually assaulting a woman on campus. the judge's lenient sentence stirred national outrage. and mother teresa will be cannonized by pope francis 19 years after her death. the ceremony is expected to draw hundreds ofan peter's square. and tribute to the late gene wilder by playing two of his beloved films. that's willy wonka and the chocolate factory and "blazing saddles." you're watching "early today." tomorrow is not a given. but entresto is a medicine that helps make more tomorrows possible. ? tomorrow, tomorrow... ? ? i love ya, tomorrow ?

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little movement on wall street as investors are anxiously awaiting today's job reports. we're joined now from london what can we expect today? >> hey, good morning. so essentially what we know right now of course is that the fed signaling last week that whatever is released in this jobs report later today will have a major impact on whether or not they decide to hike rates by the end of the month. analysts saying that somewhere over 200,000 could push the fed forward at the rate hike at the end of september. we're expecting that report just a few hours from now.

7,000 jobs if they switch over to automated cash counting and bookkeeping. it's how it's changing the face of u.s. retailers. the company said for them this is only less than 1% of their total u.s. work force but they said they are offering jobs in other parts of the stores and another story is south korea's shipping line, they've said they're going bankrupt and that these ships are anchored and unable to market. this is causing a ripple effect also to u.s. retailers. they're worried about getting that prestock for christmas into ports. a big question on how negative this will impact the u.s. economy. >> a lot to watch and thank you. just ahead, the world's most decorated olympian plays egg russian roulette, plus a festival that has people hurling

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all right. movie time this weekend. in theaters this light between oceans star ago real life couple. and there's also morgan, a science fiction thriller so that one is what bill will see.

hermine. michael phelps stopd by the tonight show to play russian rou roulette. >> oh, man, i'm nervous. >> i love seeing michael phelps nervous. this is great. come on, buddy. do it. go for it. >> i got to do it all? >> you've got to thing. >> just try it. trust me. >> slap it. >> man, come on. >> oh, that one's red. >> what's up dude? >> nothing, this is awesome. >> think it's set up a little bit? >> the goggles daytona all. >> how about being a wimp about it.

>> own it. go big or bogo home. >> the residents of el salvador survived a dangerous celebration. every year on the last day of august young men make homemade fireballs an gasoline soaked rags. don't take the kids to this one. yeah, that's not highly recommended. all right. this honors a volcanic eruption that forced all the resident to evacuate and i think i like the tomato throwing festival. >> that's what happened yesterday as far as w they always say there are few incidents of people getting hurt from this. >> gasoline and fire and throwing. that kind of -- >> they've mastered i guess over the years, but anyway, this is "early today." why am i so devastatingly handsome, i'm in a fragrance... ...ad, and my sweethearts gone sayonara.

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