republic it's thursday, july 14th. donald trump makes it official. he will choose his running mate on friday morning. but in cleveland with ohio's open carry laws security will be a major challenge with tens of thousands of demonstrators expected. president obama holds a meeting over community policing while the dallas officers' funerals take place. and sports stars speak out on the devastating police shooting. "early today" starts right now. good morning, everybody and thanks so much for waking up with us. we are just one day away from donald trump

presidential pick. he held a meeting with some of the apparent finalists. trump met with mike pence and spoke to both newt gingrich and chris christie in recent days but there are new distractions that has arisen in recent days. trump accused an aide of spreading rumors about senior campaign staffers. that aide released an ex- cloous collusive statement that simply said, i'm not guilty. i'm beautiful. and it's the latest in a long line of struggles for the campaign. trump and his lawyers were also fighting in a courtroom arguing against the release of deposition videos trump gave as part of a class action suit against his trump university organization. trump's lawyer in the case argued that the videos, if released would be used as a weapon in political ads saying we have this convention i

for mischief. the judge said he would delay the ruling over the release of those videos, all of that as hillary clinton hit the campaign trail to bash trump calling for the end of racial prejudices during a speech in illinois. that speech came as a poll found that 69% of americans believe that race relations in the u.s. are generally bad. one of the highest levels since the l.a. riots. but a series of battleground state polls that show trump with an edge in key states could be worrying the clinton camp. our polls show clinton and donald trump tied in ohio at 39% each. in iowa a virtual dead heat with clinton leading trump with just three points. 42% for clinton. 39% for trump. one bright spot nfor clinton, pennsylvania where she

trump by 9 points. trump got zero percent approval among blacks in ohio and pennsylvania. and clinton called for unity in the wake of the deadly dallas ambush while also taking the opportunity to attack trump. >> imagine if he had not just twitter and cable news to go after his critics and opponents, but also the irs. or for that matter, our entire military. this man is the nominee of the party of lincoln. we are watching it become the party of trump. and that's not just a huge loss for our democracy. it is a threat to it. >> the republican national convention kicks off in four days and security in cleveland is tightening as concerns grow over the tens of thousands of protesters expected to

and complicating matters, the state's open carry law for guns. two rings of security will surround the convention center. first, the secure zone inside and directly around it will be controlled by the secret service where no guns are allowed. then the wider event zone where protesters will be and where guns are allowed per state law though other items including rifles, knives and paint ball guns are prohibited. new details in overnight as to who will be speaking center stage. donald trump has been promising a different kind of convention. plans obtained by the new york times offer a glimpse into his showman style. opening night will focus on the benghazi attacks with rudy julianneny and trump's wife among others. the second night will hone in on the economy with mitch mcconnell, donald trump jr. and others speaking and the

nights will have tim tebow, and others as well as trump's vice presidential pick and the billionaire himself. but what is striking is the number of political heavyweights not attending. more than 40 prominent republican politicians have declined the convention. it will be the first republican national convention without a single living president or former presidential candidate in attendance. four nba superstars opened the es pi awards for a powerful plea to end gun violence and promote change. they called on their fellow athletes to step up and unite communities. >> it's not new, but the urgency to great change. meanwhile it was an

of the city's bravest were laid to rest. funerals for the other two officers killed in last year week's mass shooting will be held next week. this as the family calls for peace. sarah has more. >> reporter: remembered for their courage and dedication, the community gathered to say good-bye. three separate services honoring each officer. ♪ i once was lost >> reporter: dart policeman brent thompson leaving behind six kids and a wife of two weeks. >> we will not, we cannot, we shall not let the act of a coward break us. on brent's behalf, i'm asking you all, continue on, press on, he has your six. >> through christ our lord, amen. >> reporter: dalla

department veteran also serving 7 years in the army. >> his selfless legacy will live on. >> bag pipes for loren ahrens. each gunned down by a sniper after a peaceful protest thursday. now a new threat to kill police in louisiana. the son of alton sterling is calling for unity. >> there should be no more arguments, disagreements, crimes, everyone should come together as one united family. >> reporter: a message echoed by the president meeting with leaders across the country discussing ways to learn from these challenges and keep communities safe. >> as i said yesterday, i do not want to gloss over the fact that not only are there very real problems, but there are still deep divisions about how to solve these

>> reporter: all this as dallas try to heal and say good-bye to its fallen officers, their legacies remembered forever. in dallas, nbc news. now we'll take you to some extreme weather in florida. at least four water spouts were reported along the gulf coast. this video captured two of them spinning side by side on the florida panhandle. and a storm rolled across pennsylvania. the downpour made it difficult for farm animal to keep their heads above water. let's get a look at the day ahead. they really need things to dry out in a lot of parts. >> it's been a lot of rain in too short amount of time and that is causing some problems out there. we had some of these heavier downpours around the philadelphia area, so the key thing to remember here over the next couple of days, when it rains it

atmosphere and that's what makes it feel so much worse when you have the heat combined with it. heat advisories in effect all the way up into the philadelphia area where it will feel like 100 to 104. meanwhile the atlantic is quiet but the pacific is active with tropical storm activity. we have hurricane darby turning off to the west and tropical storm and meanwhile upper # 0s to near 90 in new york city. get ready to sweat it out the next couple of days. that is a look at the weather across the country this morning. here's a look at the weather where you are. we're looking at showers and stronger storms in the northeast today. baking heat from philadelphia all the way down to atlanta with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. heat index around 100 this afte

of days is not going to feel so great. >> leave it at home. straight ahead, the desperate hunt for a serial killer after seven people have been gunned down. the latest news on pokemon go. you're watching "early today." o" see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that... ...i won't stop until i find what works. discover cosentyx, a different kind of medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin. 8 out of 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months. while the majority saw 90% clearance. do not use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting, you should be tested for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur... ...tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms... ...such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to.

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so your bathroom looks clean as new mr. clean gets tough on stuck-on stuff cleans kitchens in a minute. mr. clean will clean your whole house and every room that's in it. mr. clean, mr. clean, mr. clean! welcome back, everybody. police in arizona are racing to catch a serial killer before he strikes again. the so-called serial street shooter is suspected of targeting random victims and gunning them down outside their homes in their own driveways. at least 7 people have been killed since mid march all of them occurring within a few miles of each other. >> people are being killed. we never know who's next. that's pretty sad. scary. >> due to the fear, the community is turning into a ghost town at night. shops are closing up early while a neighborhood watch group

york city troops are cracking on k-2 which is a type of synthetic marijuana. 32 people were hospitalized for apparently overdosing on the drug. emergency crews say many of them were found convulsing and vomiting on the street. police in california released body cam footage of a fatal shooting of an unarmed man last month. the footage which police chief described as an extremely disturbing to watch shows police responded to a report of a man armed with a rifle. he failed to respond with officer commands and appeared to reach for an object in his clothes which turned out to be a container of clay. an attorney applauded the decision to release the

saying it showed transparency. belgian police have responded to reports of two explosions in brussels last night. the fiery blast erupted along a row of cars destroying them. local media reports say police have ruled out terrorism. well, stocks continue to soar. the dow jones and the a a-- s&p 500 continue to rise. and pokemon go reached just under 21 million daily active users in one day. it's expected to close in on snap chat and google maps as well. and bar bihas revealed its running mate. i know you were waiting anxiously. the dolls are sold together in a variety of skin tones, fac

the toy maker aims to inspire girl to become leaders. just ahead, an nbc news exclusive. a rare one on one and the blood of thousands on his hands. that's next. that's next. " ♪ plays throughout ♪ of course you go all out for date night... even if you're just staying in. walgreens has all the beauty products you need for whatever makes you feel beautiful. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. now get 5,000 bonus points when you spend 25 dollars or more on participating beauty and personal care products. choose lasting revlon colorstay™ makeup with a mess-free pump that delivers a flawless all-day look, for every skin type and tone. in two formulas, and 35 shades. for a love that lasts. choose love

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whether you or your kid can actually ever win those carnival games like the ring toss and the basketball throw. you might be surprised to know the answer. but now, rare access into syria for a one on one with 'em battled president as u.s. led air strikes continue in his country he is also locked in a civil war that has cost 250,000 lives. we sat down with the president at his office and we do want you to know it was filmed and there have been no editorial changes to the content. >> mr. trump has no experience in foreign policy. does that worry you? >> who had this experience before? obama or george bush or clinton before? none of them had any experience. this is the problem with the united states. you have to look for a statesman who has real experience in

politics not to have position in congress for a few years or minister of foreign affairs for example. that doesn't have the experience. >> so a man with no experience in foreign policy in the white house is not necessarily dangerous in your view? >> if anyone who doesn't have experience in any position, white house or the presidential palace or another country of course it is dangerous for the country generally. >> how do you think history will remember you? >> i hope it will see me as the man who protected his country from the terrorism and saved its sovereignty and integrity of its land. >> you know they're saying you're a brutal dictator. you're a man with more blood on your hands than even on your father. >> no, if you have a doctor who cut the head to save the patient you

doctor. he does what he does to protect the rest of the body. so when you protect the country from the terrorist you are not. celebrities are teaming up to ask the government to heal the country. and what's next for this ballerina? you're watching "early today." you're watching "early today." ♪ ♪ ♪ geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have.

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for 23 ways you can be killed if you are black in america. >> failing to signal a lane change. >> riding in your girlfriend's car with a child in the back. >> running to the bathroom in your own apartment. >> the video is put together by alicia keys we are here movement. it callings on congress to help heal racism. one of hollywood's favorite duos are at it again. they previously starred together in crazy stupid love and gangster quad. >> it's the 15-year an versely of legally blond. so you pretend you're dropping something, and you bend, and

>> you heard it right it's been 15 years since the legally blond hit the theaters. in an interview reese wither spoon said the film has a meaningful empowerment movement. misty cope land has been cast in the upcoming nutcracker movie. cope land shared a photo yesterday adding she is quote, thrilled to be a part of this amazing project and jimmy fallon took on the latest pokemon trend last night. >> the pokemon craze seems to be getting bigger and bigger. members of congress are trying to catch pokemon in the u.s. capitol. wheen mile pokemon is like oh my god, is this part of congressmen at work? do you know how rare that is? that's totally rare. ly rare. tomorrow is not a given.

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good morning, everyone. i'm eun yang. >> and i'm adam tuss in for aaron gilchrist. that breaking news -- >> what's going on? >> we're learning that a man in bladensburg has been shot to death and police have little information about how that happened. we understand this happened shortly after 9:00 last night on the 4400 block of blue heron way and bladensburg. those are the only details that police have revealed to us. police are looking for a suspect and a motive in this case. at the live desk,

some of the other stories we're monitoring at this hour. the highest-ranking officer charge in freddie gray's death could learn his fate in a matter of hours. we'll be learning new details about next week's republican national convention. who is expected to speak as the party is prepared to nominate donald trump? and look at temperatures today. it could get hot and dangerous. you can feel it. hot and humid. >> part of the area under a heat advisory that goes into effect at noon. it runs until 8:00 this evening. this is for the entire d.c. metro area and southern maryland down through the northern neck. southern montgomery county, all of fairfax, prince george's county, district, arlington and alexandria. around noon, when you factor in the humidity, feeling like temperatures in the mid to upper

2:00 p.m. continuing to feel very hot outside. i'll have more on what you can expect during the afternoon hours and 4 things you need to know about today in a little bit. for now, we'll send it to jack taylor, wtop. we've got a work zone at university boulevard at the beltway, both directions. paving project. right lane getting by in both directions. again, folks are working on rock creek parksway, near the kennedy center. and inner loop after brad rock road. it's now 4:28. one week after the tragedy in dallas, family and friends will have a private ceremony and burial for police sergeant michael smith. smith was a 28-year veteran of the department and recipient of police awards. he also served 7 years in the army. he was honored in a public

of the other four officers involved. funeral services are set for philando castile in minneapolis today. officers says he was pulled over for a broken taillight. a group of transgender women say they were discriminated against at a local pool. the women went to the banneker rec center in georgia avenue. they said the rec attendant sent them to the men's training room. the group says other employees starting harassing them. the transgender women we spoke with did not want to be identified. >> life guards are saying they shouldn't be in the women's room. they are talking about pedestrian doe feel

pedophilia and it's not right. a summer youth employee mistakenly misdirected patrons to the restroom. mpb d is investigating a report that the patrons then threatened the youth. today, we may learn two dangerous incidents of metro trains running red light signals. last week, an operator was fired because of an incident in glen mont. today, the metro board is also expected to decide whether the public should weigh in on a project to redesign the king street metrobus loop. the makeover would eliminate 30 short-term parking spaces but increase the bus space from 6 to 10. there may be a verdict this morning for the highest-ranking officer charge in the death of