for the democrats on the strip. plus, developing stories from overseas. reports a russian missile downed flight mh-17. as vladimir putin's influence grows in the middle east. and he's been called darth visor and the head ball coach but now there's word steve spurrier is set to retire in the middle of the football season. it's 5:30 on the east coast, 2:30 out west and this is "way too early." good morning, everybody, it's tuesday, october 13th, i'm amy holmes. we'll talk about all that and big breaking overnight news that impacts the biggest news in beer. but we begin this morning in las vegas, with the first democratic presidential debate just hours

away. the division of the five candidates on the stage is based on a collection of national polls taken since august 1st. hillary clinton will be front and center. the next highest polling candidate vermont senator bernie sanders will be to her right. martin o'malley to her left, with jim webb and lincoln chafee on the outside. in the unlikely event that vice president joe biden decides to participate, well, there's a podium waiting for him, as well. clinton has entered the debate bolstered by some strong polling out of nevada. she's got a 16-point lead over sanders in a cnn/orc poll and a 22-point lead when joe biden is not included as an option. in a new poll out of south carolina, she's running even better. a 25-point lead over biden when he's included in the race. and a 50-point lead over the rest of the field when the vice president is not included. and clinton made her presence in las vegas felt early, after touching down yesterday, making

a surprise appearance at a rally taking place right outside where the trump the international hotel. she joined about 500 members of the culinary union who organized the protest to demand that trump allow workers at his hotel to unionize. >> -- mr. trump is entertaining, but i don't think it's entertaining when somebody insults immigrants, insults women, and is just unacceptable behavior. and so, when we're here together in solidarity, to organize, we also want to send a message to mr. trump. >> yes. >> that if you are going to run for president, then you should represent all the people of the united states. including hard-working people. and you should not stand in the way of the right to organize, because that's what built the middle class.

>> and for the first time yesterday, donald trump facing questions outside of a press conference at one of his rallies. trump was one of several candidates attending the no labels conference in manchester, new hampshire yesterday where he faced a sometimes hostile crowd and talked about how his tone is going to change once more of his opponents drop out. >> so maybe i'm wrong, maybe you can prove me wrong but i don't think that you're a friend to women. how -- what -- it -- >> i knew i shouldn't have picked her. i knew i shouldn't have picked. all right, so let me give you that answer right now. i respect women incredibly. i had a woman who was in charge of the building of trump tower many years ago. before it was even thought -- before anybody would have even thought of it. i respect women. i love women. i cherish women. you know hillary clinton said he shouldn't cherish. i said i do cherish. i cherish women. my mother was one of the great people of the world. maybe the greatest, ever. my mother.

i respect women. >> i want to get paid the same as a man and i think you understand that. so, if you become president, will a woman make the same as a man? and do i get to choose what i do with my body? >> you're going to make the same if you do as good a job. you're going to the make the same if you do as good a job and i happen to be pro-life. okay. i'm pro-life. >> in the spirit of problem solving, i'm wondering if you're at all concerned that some of the divisive language you use on the campaign trail undermines your ability to solve problems. >> i have to say -- you know what? i mean -- i under -- here's -- we -- i went to ivy league schools. i know what's divisive, i know what's not divisive in all fairness. what you do, i don't want to necessarily be politically

correct all the way down the line. i see politicians, they're afraid to say anything, because it's not politically correct. and they know the answers, and they refuse to give them, because they're afraid it's not going to be politically correct, and i am going to have to be who i am. now, at the same time, i'm running against a lot of people. when it becomes a different kind of a situation, you'll see i'm going to be much less divisive. >> and later this morning, a dutch safety board will publish its final report on why malaysia airlines flight mh-17 broke up over ukraine in 2014. killing all 298 people on board. the report is widely expected to say the plane was downed by a russian-made missile. however, due to international flight crash investigation rules, the board does not have the authority to say who's responsible for firing it. and while most western experts believe pro-russian rebels shot down the aircraft the russian state controlled manufacturer of the missile system says its own

investigation contradicts conclusions from the dutch probe. the manufacturer did not specify what was in the dutch report, but they'd received an advanced look. and russian president vladimir putin's presence is growing in parts of iraq and syria. according to the ap posters of the russian president are popping up on billboards and cars across the war-torn region. over the last several days russia has steady increased or raised the number of the airstrikes against isis militants. at the same time we learned that the u.s. has dropped new ammunition to syrian forces by air. according to the pentagon, a u.s. cargo aircraft has delivered 50 tons of ammo, including bullets and hand grenades to ground forces in northern syria. some observers say that the increased military intervention is placing u.s. and russian forces on opposite sides of an intensifying proxy war. just in this morning, iran's parliament has approved their landmark nuclear deal.

now, it still could get hung up by that country's guardian council. the deal was complicated in the united states after iran performed a missile test launch over the weekend. now there are questions over whether it violates u.n. resolutions. and a recent wave of palestinian unrest across israel shows no signs of stopping today. authorities say at least two people have been killed, and 20 wounded in four separate attacks on israelis this morning. in jerusalem, two suspects stabbed and shot passengers on a bus, killing one israeli and injuring 16 more. the attacks come a day after a separate series of stabbings left three palestinian assailants dead, and at least five israelis injured, including a 13-year-old boy who remains in critical condition. at least 26 palestinians and four israelis have been killed in deadly small scale attacks over the last two weeks in the west bank, gaza strip, and jerusalem. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has vowed to crack down on what he called the

terror. outlining new security measures that include granting police greater leeway to open fire. meanwhile here at home, hillary clinton saying that she was alarmed by the attacks on israelis. adding in a statement, quote, it is wrong, and it must stop. there's no place for violence, only dialogue can produce a lasting peace. and back here in the u.s., a group of 15 confederate flag supporters are facing terror charges in georgia this morning. ten men and five women, all cow ca cow careen have been indicted. a group called respect the flag drove a convoy of pickup trucks flying confederate flags through a community where the party was being held. the conversation broke out and the flags allegedly threatened party goers. the southern poverty law center immediately launched an investigation. the new indictment calls the group a criminal street gang and

all 15 men and women have been charged with issuing terroristic threats. out of those 15, at least four have been arrested. according to the nbc affiliate in atlanta, bail was set for $9,000 each. and the pressure keeps ratcheting up on the benghazi committee. there are new accusations that an investigator was wrongfully fired. major bradley podliska has claimed that he was terminated for not targeting hillary clinton, and asking for time off to fulfill duties in the air force reserve. now authorities tell nbc that congressman trey gaudy who is the committee chair and the committee violated a confidentiality agreement and the congressional accountability act by discussing the ongoing employment dispute. gowdy for his part is calling him a lousy employee who mishandled classified information. gowdy has rejected the staffer's claims and the committee said in response the latest from the staffer's lawyer quote the ludicrousness of a former employee who has spread himself across the news media over the

weekend complaining about confidentiality ought to be obvious. still ahead on "way too early," the hunter accused of poaching a lion may not face charges after all. plus, to the tweets just doom the astros postseason hopes? while may be the less said the better when it comes to governor of texas twitter account. and later it's a cover-up after 50 years of baring all the magazine hugh hefner turned into an icon all over the world is getting a major makeover. those stories and a check on the weather when "way too early" comes right back. hey, you forgot the milk!

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which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life-threatening. ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. check your blood sugar. your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, sweating, extreme drowsiness, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, dizziness, or confusion. today's the day to ask about levemir® flextouch. covered by most health insurance and medicare plans. welcome back to "way too early." the world's two biggest brewers are closer than ever to combining today. anheuser-busch inbev and sab miller saying that they've

reached an agreement in principle on the key terms of a deal in which anheuser-busch would pay about $104 billion for its smaller rival. the deal is complete it would mark the largest takeover of a british company ever and the new group would control a combined 30% of the global beer market. dwarfing the next biggest player heineken which has just 9%. and the american dentist who killed cecil the lion in zimbabwe over the summer will not be facing charges there. walter palmer sparked global outrage after killing the 13-year-old lion outside the national park in july. after an investigation, zimbabwe's government announced that palmer's hunting papers were all in order. so he won't be charged. zimbabwe's environment minister saying that palmer is free to return to the country as a tourist, but not as a hunter. and now, on to sports we begin with breaking news overnight out of college football. first reported by sports illustrated legendary football coach steve spurrier is retiring

from the south carolina gamecocks effective immediately. the 70-year-old spurrier is the winningest coach in school history, and is now in an 11th season at usc. but his team has struggled in recent years after winning just seven games last year. the gamecocks are off to a second and four start this season. spurrier became a household name in college football while he was growing the university of florida into a national powerhouse in the '90s. after 12 seasons in gainesville he spent two years growing the nfl's redskins before ultimately making his return to the college game in 2005. south carolina will reportedly name an interim coach sometime today. in other college football coaching news, the university of southern california has fired head football coach steve sarkisian one day after placing him on an indefinite leave of absence. sarkisian had failed to show up to practice. the athletic director said it was clear he's not healthy.

it was also widely reported the coach appeared to be intax dated during a booster event that was caught on video prior to the start of the season. sarkisian which posted a 12-0 record with the trojans since taking over as head coach in 2014. i'm sorry my contact lenses. and in gainesville florida gators quarterback has been suspended for one year after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. the gators who are currently undefeated will play without the quarterback for the remainder of the year. he won't be eligible for return until the seventh game of the 2016 season. grier was emotional while explaining his actions in a press conference yesterday. >> i took an over-the-counter supplement that -- that had something in it. and i -- i did not check with the medical staff. before taking. really -- i'm really sorry.

to -- to everyone. truly sorry. >> and now to playoff baseball. let's start with the n.l. division series. in new york, five rbis from curtis granderson and home runs fr helped push the dodgers to the brink. the mets win 13-7 and take a 2-1 series lead. game four is tonight at citi field. and in chicago, a playoff record six home runs propel the cubs to a victory over the cardinals in game three. st. louis is now on the verge of elimination as they trail chicago 2-1. to the american league, and arlington, texas, the blue jays stay alive after an 8-4 victory over the rangers. the series heads back to toronto for a decisive game five tomorrow. in houston, trailing series 2-1, the royals looked like they were going home after the astros jumped out to a four-run

advantage by the end of the seventh inning. the s6-2 lead prompted this twet from texas governor greg abbott. but the post was quickly deleted. forcing a decisive game five in kansas city tomorrow night. >> everyone wants to be first. >> everyone. now let's get a check on your weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. >> how are you? >> good, good. my contacts are -- >> i know, a nascar pit stop. i wasn't sure how to clean the lenses. how do you do that? >> it's way too early. >> it is. get some solution. all right. let's talk about the rain this morning. a little bit. this is really the only weather story out there rochester, syracuse, showers, central pennsylvania. also some downpours over long island up into rhode island right now. so if you're anywhere near the providence and new port area, boston, all the way out on the cape, have the umbrella for your morning commute. you will be driving in the rain but you'll dry home in dry

conditions as we see improvement during the day. a few thunderstorms overnight south of atlanta if you're montgomery, showers and storms you in alabama and in macon some showers heading your way. overall, what a beautiful week this is for the most of the country. there are a few exceptions. also miami showers and storms today. but it still feels like summer from kansas to texas, down along the gulf coast, all the way through the west. very warm, unusually warm weather continues. even into wednesday. still some rain down there in the deep south. a little cooler in new england. but we're still temperatures above average, as the warmth continues. when will we finally see some chill? unfortunately it looks like the chill is going to head down from canada, as we head towards the upcoming weekend. the temperatures are really going to tank. friday into saturday, the blue arrows show you the temperatures how far below average it is. we're only going to see highs on saturday in the 40s from northern portions of michigan, through all of western new york upstate portions of new york, into new england. high temperature in syracuse could be 46 degrees with some

cold lake effect rain showers as we go throughout this week. not snow yet. but rain showers are expected. so that will be a big change of pace as we go through the upcoming weekend. a lot of the people still have their growing season going on, so we haven't had that first real killing freeze, and that will be coming this weekend, too, for some people in new england. so it's been a very warm september. it's been a nice october. we can't complain. sooner or later the frost is going to be on the pumpkin and that could be this weekend. >> but i'm not complaining now. the weather is beautiful. still ahead, a comedy star makes his return to the stage, after a deadly accident. tracy morgan gets back in action, before his return to "saturday night live." when laquinta.com sends craig wilson a ready for you alert the second his room is ready, ya know what he becomes? great proposal! let's talk more over golf. great. how about over tennis? even better. a game changer! the ready for you alert, only at lq.com.

thinking of new ways to make treat time fun. (vo) at the friskies playhouse, the cats and us are always busy. that's how we came up with new friskies pull 'n play. with tender string treats cats can eat. that part was their idea. lucy always thought strings should be edible. chloe thought the same. and charlie, well, he's up for anything as long it's fun. new friskies pull 'n play with tender strings. the whole new way to treat 'n play. at ally bank no branches equalsit's a fact.. kind of like mute buttons equal danger. ...that sound good? not being on this phone call sounds good. it's not muted. was that you jason? it was geoffrey! it was jason. it could've been brenda.

when it comes to music or movies or logos on shirts, people take it very lightly. most people don't even realize that it's wrong, or maybe they don't care. i'm really not sure. so that's why we decided to conduct a poll today on hollywood boulevard of some of the individuals who make their living dressing up as unsanctioned superheroes. you've seen them outside while you're in line. so we went outside, and asked some of them if they think donald trump is right to take legal action to protect his intellectual property, and, well here's what they thought about that? do you think it's right like if someone were to create something and someone else was able to make money off of that, you

know, from a cheaper knockoff version? >> no, i don't think that's right. >> look at the michael kors hand bags. >> absolutely. >> i mean, they look real. now is michael kors getting a cut of it? >> no, absolutely not. >> it sucks. >> it really does. >> people suck it up. >> donald you have the right to be mad. i'd be mad. >> i'd be mad, too. >> that's all i got to say. you're a new yorker. you know what you got to do. i ain't got to tell you. go get it. >> now let's get a check on the morning's other headlines. for that we head to the control room with louis bergdorf. good morning. >> good morning, amy. last night for the first time since the automobile accident that left him severely injured comedian tracy morgan made his return to the stage in a major way. with not just one appearance, but two. he first stopped by new york city's legendary comedy cellar performing a set and tweeting out this photo with the caption, my first time on stage in 16 months. picking up the pieces. then he wrapped up the night with a second set at nyc comedy

club the stand, his return to the stage comes just days before he hosts "saturday night live" a show where he spent seven seasons as a beloved cast member. now we've heard that excuse before, i only read it for the articles. it's possible now people will really be reading "playboy" for the articles. the historic magazine will stop publishing nude photographs as part of a redesign starting in march. an editor took the idea to founder hugh hefner and the famous robe wearing founder agreed. "playboy's" circulation peaked in the '70s and has fallen to about 800,000 with the advent of the internet. its first-ever issue in 1953 featured none other than marilyn monroe on the cover. i'm sure that was an incredible one. now, finally, one very special guest showed up for the wedding of a california couple anyway. now it was the president of the united states. president obama happened to be golfing at the same resort in la jolla where they hosted their wedding on sunday morning and shortly after wrapping up the 18th hole right behind the altar

the president walked over to greet the happy couple and their guests. amy, i don't think that's such a bad surprise. >> oh, that's fabulous for that couple. but, i want to get back to the "playboy" story. >> oh, yes. >> so "playboy" is isn't going to publish nude photos anymore? is that right? >> what is the world coming to. i don't know. i think it could be a good thing. >> maybe they'll have lots of adventure travel pieces or something. how to be the modern man. >> yeah. i'm sure it will be good. >> all right. thanks so much, louis. that does it for me and "way too early." coming up on "morning joe," up for debate. the democrats prepare for a gruelling two-hour forum in las vegas, and as speculation cools about joe biden, is his window rapidly closing to jump in the race? we'll also be joined by senator bob corker, chair of the foreign relations committee and former mayor rudy giuliani is in the house, as well. that and much more coming up next on "morning joe."

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the "x" factor if you will is vice president joe biden. >> he could take part even if he waits until the last minute to enter even if he waits to the last minute to enter is the race. not since hamlet has so much drama hung up on one man. >> the stage might as well have one extra podium. >> the clock is ticking for joe biden. >> to run or not to run, in a the question. >> will air force two suddenly start flying this way, westward to las vegas tuesday night? ♪