chelala, thank you very much. thank you guys so much. that does it for us this morning. we'll be back live tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. msnbc reports picks up the coverage after a short break. s e coverage after a short break good morning. i'm jose diaz-balart. a lot of news to get to this labor day morning. tens of thousands of burning man spectators hoping for a chance of escape after a massive storm turned the festival into a sea of mud. will the weather break today for those stranded in the desert? a felon meant to be serving a life sentence escaping after escaping from a pennsylvania prison. the search intensifies this

morning as authorities warn residents to stay inside. just 48 hours left for donald trump's co-defendants to enter their pleas or get ready to appear in court in georgia's election interference case. we start in the remote nevada deserts where tons of thousands of trapped concern growers are trying to -- organizer plan to reopen roads in about two hours after sudden storms turned the annual gathering into miles of mud. so thick that some are comparing it to quicksand. others are starting to hike out after being warned to shelter in place and to conserve food and water. the situation so concerning, even the president has been briefed. the festival ceo told my colleague chloe melas, there's

no cause for panic. >> we've made it really clear that we do not see this as an evacuation situation and that the community is patient and the water is drying up. >> i want to give right to nbc's liz kroits, and michelle grossman standing by with the forecast. thank you very much. liz, the announcement should come around noon eastern. how are festival goers and the community doing through this? >> reporter: jose, we're waiting for an update from officials at the festival to let us know if they're going to lift that shelter-in-place. it is dry here right now. i spoke to an official this morning that says while some parts of the camp are dry, other parts are still really muddy and wet and soggy. you can see that where we are right now. look at this mud. it is really sticky and gooey and wet and cold here as well.

you can tell how uncomfortable this would be for so many of these festival goers. we're at one of the entrances to burning man, about three miles from here is actually blackrock city. this is where 72,000 people are hunkering down right now. it was a really intense few days for a lot of these people stuck in this mud. many, many people trudging through it for miles just to get out. a really intense experience. i spoke to a lot of people who say, how are they handling it? on one hand i talked to a guy last night at the reno airport who was almost in tears because he was so relieved and happy to be on his way home. he said he was really miserable. the vast majority of attendees said, i want you to know about the burning man ethos, the community is coming together. one person told me that true burners are made for this, jose. >> it went from burning man to mudding. michelle, how is the weather looking for this?

>> the good news is we're looking much, much better. we had two months of rain in just 24 hours. that's really only an inch. it doesn't sound like a lot, but it's the desert, there's nowhere to go. it can't be absorbed, there's no vegetation. we're looking at much better conditions. we saw on that live shot we're looking at sunny conditions, sunny over the next five to six days. the burn is set to take place tonight which is unusual. we're looking at mostly fair conditions, looking at temperatures in the 60s. the desert gets chilly at night. we'll see temperatures dropping. sunny conditions tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. a slight shower might happen early on tuesday. that's about it. otherwise, for the labor day forecast, we're seeing the heavy rain is now off to the east. we're looking at portions of the great basin, the northern

plains, a chance for localized flooding. showers along the gulf coast states into the south central states. another big story on this labor day, looking at really warm temperatures, record temperatures in 25 states in the northeast, the northern plains, the great lakes. we're also looking at a chance for strong storms as we go throughout this monday, especially the afternoon and evening hours. where you see the yellow on the map behind me, that's a chance of seeing some really strong storms. we can see winds gusts up to 60 miles per hour. this is the same front that came through nevada. also the chal for hail. could see a tornado or two. as we go throughout tuesday, so many kids going back to school, getting back to reality tomorrow. 5 million people at risk for strong storms in the midwest including minneapolis. the same scenario with the winds gusty at 60 miles, chance for tornadoes and hail. heavy rainfall that we've seen with the storms all summer long.

looking at localized flooding possible. where you see the reds, oranges, yellows, that's where we'll expecting heavy rainfall. we have storm chances, but nevada looking much, much better today. >> liz kroits and michelle grossman, thank you for being with us this morning. we're just 48 hours away from the wednesday deadline for the final seven defendants in georgia's election interference case to either enter a plea or appear for their arraignment. still big names that haven't entered a plea include mark meadows and geoffrey clark. joining us, nbc news justice and intelligence correspondent ken dilanian and former federal prosecutor khadori. any indications from meadows and clark or any other defendants on what they plan to do? >> good morning, jose. not really.

this is really just a formality. this arraignment can be waived. an arraignment is just a formal reading of the charges and an entering of the plea. they can do that virtually or without appearing. the real question in this case is what happens with mark meadows' appeal to a federal judge to have this case moved to federal court, if he's successful in that. you have some defendants who are trying to go to trial as soon as this fall. then you have donald trump who wants to delay it as long as possible. so a collision of southwest there. we don't ex-next anybody to plead guilty. we expect them all to plead not guilty. we'll see where the schedule takes us. >> does it matter whether they waive their arraignment or decide to show up? >> it doesn't really matter if they're in prison or not. as ken said, this is an after mystic part of the criminal procedure. all these people we can expect will plead not guilty and the

next phase of this is going to be figuring out how many moving pieces there are. we have meadows trying to go to federal court. it remains to be seen if we have other people trying to follow him. we have ken chesebro invoking his rights. you already have sort of three potential groups here, and we're still going through this process, the courts are going through this process of trying to sort this all out. it's not clear if it's going to be over any time soon, but something clearly worth watching very closely. >> ken, we're also expecting the grand jury report itself can be released sometime over the next couple days. what could that reveal? >> probably not much that we don't already know, jose. it will be interesting to see whether there's anything in that grand jury report that isn't reflected in the indictment. the reason it's been secret until now is because they were waiting for the criminal grand jury to do its work.

it has done that and has issued a very detailed racketeering indictment with multiple counts and 19 defendants. now we're going to see what this grand jury that actually investigated the case for more than two years, what they came up with. there may be redactions there because there may be people who aren't mentioned in the indictment. we'll have to see. it's going to be interesting to watch, to see whether there's any new revelations, jose. >> ankush, a judge has indicated he plans to televise and live stream the case. is that unusual? >> state court proceedings, there's a much stronger preference or availability for televised proceedings including georgia. it is unusual in a high-profile case because we tend to expect those to be federal court where there is pretty much never televised proceedings. this case, the fact it's in state court, this is one of the features of a state court proceeding that folks will get the benefit of. >> ankush, you were talking

about how chesebro and others were asking for invoking a speedy trial. how will that change things if some in the group say they want a speedy trial and others don't? >> that would introduce significant complexity. i would assume the d.a.'s office had a contingency plan for some sort of tightly focused narrow case in case some people seek a speedier trial. but the rest of the folks, they're entitled to take their time subject to the court's supervision to build their defense, go through discovery, that sort of thing. having an early trial or potential multiple trials can be problematic for the d.a.'s office. it means everybody else gets a preview of their case and their evidence, that people who testify are now going to be on the record, and that any inconsistency in testimonies in later proceedings can be used against them. the fact that there's a succession of trials -- folks in the media are interested,

obviously, but not necessarily a good thing for prosecutors. sometimes multiple cases in the same criminal case can make it harder over time. >> ken dilanian and an kush khadori, thank you for being with us. the urgent manhunt in pennsylvania, a convicted killer spotted on surveillance camera less than two miles from the prison where he escaped. the lastest warning that has neighbors living in fear. we're back in 60 seconds. we're s

(fan #1) there ya go! that's what i'm talkin' about! (josh allen) is this your plan to watch the game today? (hero fan) uh, yea. i have to watch my neighbors' nfl sunday ticket. (josh allen) it's not your best plan. but you know what is? myplan from verizon. switch now and they'll give you nfl sunday ticket from youtubetv, on them. (hero fan) this plan is amazing! (josh allen) another amazing plan, backing away from here very slowly. (fan #1) that was josh allen. (fan #2) mmhm. (vo) football season is here. get nfl sunday ticket from youtubetv on us. a $449 value. plus, get a free samsung galaxy z flip5. only on verizon. a pennsylvania community is waking up under high alert. that's if they got any sleep at all. a convicted killer is on the loose in philadelphia after breaking out of prison five days ago. police are telling residents to stay inside, keep their doors locked and report any sign of the murderer who they say is extremely dangerous.

nbc's george solis is in chester county, pennsylvania, this morning. george, police have a solid lead over the weekend? >> reporter: that's right, jose. he appeared on some doorbell camera. convicted killer danelo cavalcante. people here are very tense. this is a community that isn't used to locking their doors. this has certainly rattled them. there's a heavy police presence. the road is closed behind me, cops with long guns and tactical gear going into these words hoping to catch any sight of danelo cavalcante. this morning the search for a convicted killer in pennsylvania is entering its fifth day. they're looking for 34-year-old danelo cavalcante. >> searching, drone aviation, doing everything in our power to ensure we bring him to justice. >> reporter: over the weekend a

lead in the case after authorities say cavalcante was spotted on doorbell video still wearing his prison-issued clothing, less than two miles from the prison where he escaped. >> sleepless nights? >> yes, of course, worrying about somebody that could come into your back yard and into your house, of course. >> we are requesting that residents in the area for cop son township remain inside, lock your doors, lock your cars. he's still considered an extremely dangerous individual. >> reporter: he escaped just nine days after being sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of an ex-girlfriend. authorities say he stabbed her more than 30 times in front of her children. he's also wanted for a 2017 murder in his native brazil. >> i would say we're very worried, very concerned. >> reporter: local residents on edge. police responding to over 100

tips including possible home break-ins. as a precaution, some businesses in the area temporarily shutting down. >> have you seen anything like this before? >> we have never seen anything like this before. >> reporter: with the community on lockdown, police believe they're getting closer to the fugitive still on the run. jose, officials have not yet said how he escaped from prison. there is a reward for any information that leads to his capture. there's also a tip line, we have the number on screen there, for any sightings of him. police urging people to look at their surveillance video. we just got word from an nbc news source here that cavalcante may have actually been spotted yet again yesterday afternoon in the wooded areas. officials are planning on holding a press conference today at 1:00 to give us a little more information. again, officials and community residents here, they are just hoping that he is found soon. again, this is now the fifth

day. this community is really reeling. jose. >> george solis, thank you so much. in just 24 hours from now, attorneys for alec murdaugh will hold a press conference to discuss what they call discovered evidence and a motion for new trial. the disgraced south carolina lawyer was found guilty of murdering his wife maggie and son paul. he's currently serving a life sentence. coming up, biden's big gamble. new reporting about why the president's tight-lipped approach towards trump's legal problems has some democrats worried. plus, an attempt by governor ron desantis to redraw florida's congressional maps gets struck down by a judge. that's next. dge. that's next. have fun, sis! ♪♪ can't stop adding stuff to your cart? get the bank of america customized cash rewards card,

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this labor day president biden heading to his home state, delivering remarks in pennsylvania a short time ago, commenting on the biggest issue he's facing, his age. >> -- >> i tell you what. somewhat says that biden, he's

getting old. guess what? guess what? the only thing that comes with age is a little bit of wisdom. >> the visit to the swing state comes as the president is sticking to his campaign plan to stay quiet about donald trump, a gamble that has some democrats worried that biden's silence will let trump set the phone of the race. i'll bring in "new york times" chief white house correspondent peter baker, former republican party chair and host of podcast "is it just me or have we all lost our minds" jennifer horn and former obama white house aide alaina beverly. jennifer, visiting his home state of pennsylvania. what's the message here? >> i think it's clear that the president is speaking to his base, his strongest supporter and addressing issues that are important to those voters. looking at that clip just now, we're reminded -- this is joe

biden's strength. this is where he does best. he's light on his feet. he's got a sense of humor, and he's speaking to those people as if they're his friends. when i watched that clip, i was impressed. that's always been one of jid's strengths for sure. as necessary, what he needs to do, addressing issues he made progress on, the promises he's kept. it's not just labor day in pennsylvania. it's cutting ribbons on a lot of those infrastructure projects where people can see with their own eyes and in their own community the progress this president has made. that's what he needs to be doing right now. i know there are a lot of folks out there concerned about the fact that he's not directly taking on donald trump. but i agree with what his campaign is doing. if he were doing that right now, he would just be giving trump greater strength. he would be making him stronger.

the president would be contributing to trump's -- the enthusiasm of his base. i think focusing on his accomplishments is what he wants to be doing right now. >> these are pictures out of philadelphia where the president is still saying hello to the crowd. today he was in front of the sheet metalworkers local. peter, you've wren at this time in the past about the issue of age for president biden and former president trump. he could have chosen to ignore the comment, but went right at it. >> he's taken the lesson from ronald reagan president when reagan ran in 1984 he was confronted with similar questions about his age. in fact, he stumbled pretty badly in his first debate with walter mondale. the second debate, reagan joked he wasn't going to make age an issue in the election, wasn't

going to take advantage of his opponent's youth and inexperience. everyone laughed. i think that's what biden wants to do here, take it on with a little humor and self-deprecating comments. from time to time you hear him making reference of, i've been around for 150 years or whatever. he makes a voc of it to lighten it. it's the biggest challenge for him. even democrats are concerned about his age. he's 80 now, he would be 86 at the end of his second term. he has to reassure americans that we's still light on his feet and capable of handling the job. >> meanwhile, peter, nbc news, declining to punch back when given the opportunity. why does the white house think this is the right approach? >> he likes to call him the former guy, doesn't like to use

his former name. he who shall not be named. the truth is they want to focus on trump too much. trump is going to get all the oxygen out of the room as it is. he doesn't need biden to help him in that sense. biden would like to focus on his own accomplishments and turn the issue away from the sort of bombastic questions of trump to his record of legislation and policies. he also recognizes that, if he talks about trump at least in terms of the context of the criminal indictments, he will feed into trump's narrative. indictments are not the work of an independent justice system but a political persecution. biden wants to stay 100 feet away from that and not provide ammunition from trump. >> alaina, quote, biden's closest political aides said he would not participate in that.

it's a political gamble that some biden allies worry could have potentially perilous consequences. alaina, what are the advantages and the consequences it has for him to keep out of the fray at least for now? >> i think it's too his advantage. i think it's sound political strategy not to go on the offense against trump until he's actually the nominee. as you mentioned, this was the same strategy that president obama took in 2012 against mitt romney. these circumstances are different. in addition to having to go through multiple debates or leave out the debates, in addition to having a super tuesday, for example, coming up in the spring, you also have multiple trial dates for trump. biden doesn't want to be perceived as using the bully pulpit in any way to influence the department of justice or influence any one of the 91

felony offenses frum is charged with. he wants to remain presidentialal and make his case and make the clear contrast as the other commentators have mentioned. he wants to talk about the 13.4 million jobs he's created for the american people, and he wants to continue to hit home the ways in which he's hoping the day-to-day lives of voters and not get stuck in the mud with trump before he's actually the nominee. the benefits to biden are, he gets to make his case, that he gets to shape his own narrative about what the administration has accomplished and be forward-looking about what the administration is going to continue to accomplish on a second term. the potential drawbacks are that certainly voters are still having some concerns about inflation. the economy is still front and center, and the polling suggests that people still think that trump has done better on the economy despite biden's signature initiatives, despite the bipartisan infrastructure act, the inflation reduction

act, c.h.i.p.s. and science act. trump is going to try to exploit that. if biden can take those issues on without punching back to trump. let trump be taken down a couple republicans who are brave enough to speak about the way he's tried to undermine our democracy and let the courts figure out what's going to happen to him for what he did to try to undermine our democracy. >> jennifer, speaking about containing or controlling the narrative, last week the biden campaign co-chair, senator richmond. how do you control the narrative when trump continues to be such a big force in many people's discussion. >> well, first of all, i think that the president really has made good use or the campaign has made good use of their proxies, of other folks who can go out and take on trump and his

legal issues in a different manner that joe biden could. i also think, what i would like to see, i saw that article with one of the campaign chairs talking about -- not talking -- how important it is for the president not to talk about trump's legal issues. i would like to see joe biden just one time when he's walking to the helicopter when one of the journalists asks him about the indictment, for joe biden to actually say, you know, our democracy depends on an independent department of justice. the executive office under me as president will not be weaponizing that office or engaging in that conversation, just so he's on the record being very clear. that makes it much more difficult for people to make the argument that he's somehow behind this or instigating these indictments. >> peter, meanwhile a wall street journal poll puts biden neck and neck with trump in a

statistical tie, trump 40%, biden 39%. how concerned is the white house about how close this is as we're just entering the season, the heat of the season? >> well, they won't admit to being concerned. these polls obviously have been consistently troubling for an incumbent president who is well below 50% in his own approval ratings and well below the margin of error in terms of his margin against his most prominent foe. the idea that you can't be leading substantially an opponent who has been indictment v indicted four times for 91 felony counts as we just said is rather striking. they'll tell you they don't care about polls. don't pay attention to them, they're not always right. look what happened last midterms, the predictions of a red wave were wrong, and when push comes to shove, when the issue comes to a head in november 2024 and people are asked to make a choice between donald trump and joe biden, some people may be disappointed with

joe biden, may not be happy with his age, may think he hasn't done enough or done too much depending on your point of view, they'll find him more acceptable than donald trump. donald trump has a ceiling beyond which he can't grow whereas biden has the potential to bring people back home. >> peter, i keep thinking about age issues. i'm wondering is it the actual number or is it how people perceive people's health to be. i'm thinking maybe in a lot of places 80 is the new 50. mccartney is 81 and now touring australia and then brazil. jagger just turned 80. they're coming out with a new album this week. if you see jagger in concert, you'll know the guy is in better shape than most people. is it the number or the condition? >> age, of course, is not just a number. obviously donald trump is 77. he's up there, too. if you actually were to read donald trump's speeches, his

rallies, his interviews, you'll see a difference between where he is today when he was younger. but he projects an older way, he has a lot of energy, a lot of bombastic style to him. so he doesn't get seen in the same context, same lens that president biden does. according to polls, president biden, the shuffle, the slower speaking, the lower speaking. he just presents in an older well than he has, say, a few years ago, and people have noticed that. it doesn't mean he can't do the job. that's the argument the white house will say. they'll tell you time and time again he's very sharp in his private meetings. a lot of the gaffs we attribute to age with president biden are the same gaffs he made when he was younger. he tends to misspeak at times. it's a matter of perception. i think the perception right now is not good. the perception, especially what

happened with mitch mcconnell last week is fuel among voters. >> ringo starr is 83, just finish add tour. bob dylan is 82, on a never-ending temperature. i think there's a lot of hope out there. thank you so much for being with us this morning. a florida judge has ordered the governor and lawmakers to draw a new congressional map over the weekend. the judge threw out a redistricting plan created by florida republicans saying it violated the state constitution and diminished the influence of black voters. nbc news correspondent marissa parra is covering the ruling from miami. marissa, good morning. what can you tell us about the map and what did the judge throw out? >> reporter: hey, jose, good morning. voting rights group says the map splintered and diminished black voting power, gave them less

voting power. one district was at the center of this lawsuit. this was a map not just backed by governor ron desantis in florida, but it was pushed by him. this was in 2022. governor ron desantis called the original map, quote, racially gerrymandered, saying this new map he pushed was, quote, race neutral, which, of course, voting rights groups here disputed. we had a chance to speak to one of the plaintiffs. you're going to hear from cecil skoo with the voters rights league in florida. she's saying this is not just an issue of this map, this new map that, of course, the state judge ruled unconstitutional. but she was questioning the governor's involvement in pushing it as well. take a listen for yourself. >> in the past governors have kept hands clean, and they have not argued for maps, not drawn their own maps,

they've not vetoed other people's maps. they basically accept in the past what the legislature gives them. the governor's actions are incredibly aggressive. >> reporter: when it comes to this sort of discussion, this isn't just a fight that's being had here in the state of florida. this is something we're seeing in a lot of states, especially southern states. we're seeing this in states like louisiana, alabama, georgia. in fact, just tomorrow there's going to be a trial that starts with a redistricting map fight in georgia. this is something that has a lot of impact. it affects the balance of power. voting rights groups say this is just one step. even in florida this is just one step of many that have to be taken, jose. >> marissa parra in miami, thank you so very much frnlt coming up, the summer of strikes. on this labor day a look at the work stoppages across the country and the real impact for people out on the picket line.

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today marks day 53 on the picket lines for members of hollywood's sag-aftra union. they were starting to see the impact of the strike on the economy with the august jobs report showing film, tv and movie sectors lost $17,000 jobs.

employees from a number of industries have walked off the job this year pushing for better working conditions and higher pay. joining us is msnbc anchor lindsey reiser with a closer look at this summer of strikes. >> it's also called the summer of discontent or hot strike summer. from amazon to starbucks, we've seen so many strikes, more than this period in 2021. one of the most visible, sag-aftra. >> hi, amber. >> hi, lindsey. welcome. >> amber crawford has been living in new york and working as an actress for 15 years. her apartment isn't just her sanctuary. it's also now her office. >> this is where i tape actors, this is where i audition coach. we go through the script and i coach them. we put it on tape. we send that to the casting

director. >> what's at stake for you personally with the strike? >> the fact that it's open-ended. we're not given a date of when it can come back, if we're going to come back. these are scary times ar amber says her audition business dried up after the writers strike began in may. now she's going from the red carpet to the unknown, wondering where her next check is coming from. >> actors want the general public to just know that we are just labor workers, just like people driving ups trucks, just like people working at starbucks. >> reporter:i caught up with sag-aftra local new york president ezra knight on the picket lines. >> let them know you're not going to use us to promote your summer blockbusters, use us to keep promoting your streaming platforms. you're not going the use us. >> i think the power of unions

is an incredible thing, but it's really hard to throw yourself behind something that has sort of in a selfish way made your immediate life a lot more difficult. it's hard to feel like a lot of collateral damage. >> reporter: production assistant gabrielle is out of work and doesn't feel like the benefits from the strikes will trickle down to her. >> the things that the writers and actors are fighting for are deserves, but there's still people out there who are getting even less. >> reporter: between the long hours she spent on sets and the uncertain future, she's considering a career change. >> maybe we'll dust off the old bartending skills. see if i can still hold a tray of drinks. >> reporter: amber told me she, too, may dust off her restaurant skills, but is looking forward to the day when she can get back to her passion and get paid for it. >> stories is what we all enjoy, what we all can't wait to watch.

what happens if we disappear? what happens then? i don't know. >> reporter: just friday sag-aftra voted unanimously to put a vote to members on whether to authorize a second strike, this time against the video game companies. that doesn't necessarily mean a strike will happen. it means if negotiations fail, they can authorize one. we're also watching, jose, the autoworkers. they're bargaining with three big automakers, and that contract also expires this month. jose. >> lindsey reiser, thank you very much. i want to bring in seth harris, former acting u.s. labor secretary under president barack obama. great seeing you. thank you for being with us. this isn't just a strike in one industry. more than 320,000 workers have walked off the job this year. why is this movement growing? >> well, let me start by saying happy labor day to you and the other folks at msnbc who are working today. i think we're seeing rising

worker act violent extremism across the united states because workers are feeling powerful because the economy has produced tight labor markets, and also we've seen a rise in worker militancy, workers demanding their fair share of corporate profits. corporations have been making money hand over fist, especially during the pandemic, and workers want their fair share. that's a big part of the strike in hollywood. that's a big part of what the uaw is fighting about, a big part of what the teamsters fought for in their negotiations with ups and ultimately won. >> seth, the impact of the unions is also growing, but also the membership is growing. >> absolutely right. the last year we saw a more than quarter million member increase in union membership in the united states. the first half of this year we saw more union members vote -- more workers vote to win a union through the national labor relations board. we're seeing union growth in a lot of other areas as well.

i think we are going to see another meaningful increase in union membership in the united states in 2023. it's interesting that the increase in strikes is not turning workers off to unions. in fact, the unions have widespread support throughout the economy, particularly among young workers. more than 80% of young americans strongly support unions and would like to be in a union themselves. i think that activism and militancy is increasing the appeal of a labor movement. that's a real warning shot to corporate america, that they need to sit at the bargaining table and negotiate with these unions and give them a fair deal. >> earlier this morning president biden was asked about the possibility of a united auto workers strike. take a listen to his response. workers strike take a listen to his response. >> what would you say to people

that aren't striking but are impacted by these strikes? >> well, i've been very favorably impressed bid the level of support that other workers have been giving to the striking unions. for example, in hollywood, the theatrical and stage employees, teamsters, others, have been lending strong support. have been walking picket alongside the writers guild and sag-aftra. a lot of unions express their strong support for the teamsters in their negotiations with ups. we see support for starbucks workers and amazon workers and the uaw as well. strikes are painful. strikes are very difficult. no union and no group of workers wants to go out on strike. but if that's the only way they can improve the quality of their lives. if management is so intransigent that they won't cut workers in on a fair share of their profits, then sometimes strikes are necessary. democracy can be an ugly thing. it can be a difficult and

painful and messy thing. that's what we're experiencing. this is workplace democracy in action. unfortunately, there are workers that get hurt, strikers get hurt, others get hurt. but i think in the long run they're all going to be better off if they can get corporations to come to the table and get a deal. >> seth harrison, appreciate your time. the humanitarian crisis at the southern border impacting the nation's largest school district in new york city. what it means as schools and children prepare for back to school. first, the holiday travel crush at airports. take a look at this picture. this is pretty much everywhere. record-breaking number of americans are on the move. we'll talk about that and a whole lot more. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc.

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millions of americans are heading home today as the labor day weekend comes to an end. nearly 100 million travelers expected to hit the roads and the skies. it's a record number. joining us now, nbc news correspondent kathy park is on a highway in kodak, tennessee. kathy, good morning. what are you seeing and hearing? >> reporter: hey, jose. happy labor day to you. many folks we spoke with already this morning unfortunately know that they missed their window to avoid the traffic. behind me is i-40. this is a very busy interstate, the great smoky mountains a few miles away. and as you can see, jose, folks are already on the move. this morning millions are expected to be on the move with a labor day weekend starting to wind down, capping off a record breaking summer travel season. the tsa reporting more than 2 million passengers friday and again on saturday estimating nearly 14 million have taken to

the skies over six days with few signs of trouble. >> this is much, much busier. >> yeah. >> but very efficient. i haven't had any problems. >> it's been basically a best case scenario. what we have seen is a cancellation rate that is well below the normal average. >>. >> reporter: but it's the roads that are seeing the majority of the holiday traffic. 95 million americans choosing to drive to those labor day beaches and barbecues. >> atlanta, chicago, new york, washington, d.c., seattle, denver. any places that are big concentrations of motor vehicles, you're going to have a lot of company on the roads. >> and that's leading some drivers to get out early. >> we're heading back sunday early instead of monday to hopefully beat some traffic. >> reporter: if you are leaving today, the best time to avoid congestion is before 10:00 a.m. and anytime after 6:00 p.m. meanwhile, don't expect much of a break at the pumps.

it's $3.81 a gallon nationally, which is a little higher than the same time last year. even as we wrap up the end of summer, it's not too early to book flights for the holidays ahead. >> if you haven't booked your thanksgiving flights, i wouldn't put it off in the hope that fares get cheaper. fares tend to move in one direction, and it's not down. >> reporter: and jose, back on this labor day, as far as air travel goes, so far things are running relatively smoothly. however, the delays and cancellations are slowly starting to pick up. as for drivers, aaa says it's probably a good idea to inspect your vehicle before heading out because the agency says they plan on rescuing 300,000 stranded motorists this holiday weekend, and the most common reasons are flat tires, dead batteries, as well as lockouts. so probably a good idea to have those spare keys nearby. jose. >> good point, kathy park, great seeing you, thank you so much.

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good morning, it is 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific. i'm josé diaz-balart. all eyes today on georgia this week as the final seven defendants prepare their pleas or get ready to go before a judge. the latest developments in that wide ranging election interference case. plus, a ray of hope for the tens of thousands of people at burning man who have been essentially stuck there. the festival goers hoping the weather lets up just enough to free them from their muddy misfortunate. and later, the intense manhunt for a man who is supposed to be serving a life