clearly a disappointing moment. >> we are not celebrating. we are relieved that millions and millions of people who would have been so drastically hurt by the three proposals put forward will at least retain their health care. >> the worst possible outcome is to pass something that most of us believe is a placeholder. >> right now, i am voting no. >> the republican repeal of obamacare fails in the dark of night with three gop senators rebelling. and president trump tweeting his displeasure. >> that as the new white house communications director unleashes an explosive tirade of nasty and vulgar allegations towards trump's top aides. new

tragically wrong at the ohio state fair. >> and a fascinating police bodycam video of venus williams moments after an ill-fated crash. "early today" starts right now. good to be with you. especially on a friday morning. i'm frances rivera. >> i'm phillip mena. >> a late night in congress. the vote a big defeat for senate republicans. >> really ground-breaking and pivotal and following these developments as well. >> breaking overnight, the news splashed across the headlines in this country after seven years of campaigning and long-held promises, senate republicans have been soundly defeated in their attempt to repeal obamacare. we see vice president mike pence there departing the capitol late into the night. he's no longer needed to cast that tiebreaking vote after the gop plan failed 51-49. then minority leader chuck schumer celebrating, hugging others as he leaves the hill in the dead of night. the loss comes

launched one last-ditch effort to kill the bill they've derided for so long, revealing a pared down, skinnycare bill just hours before taking up a late-night vote that resulted in a major loss. >> and it looks like it all came down to senator john mccain who received cheers as he lot of the capitol build, getting a round of applause when he walked into the chamber voting against the bill. chants could be heard inside the building as well as protesters storming the grounds. the president reacting overnight. three republicans and 48 democrats let the american people down. as i said from the beginning, let obamacare implode, then deal. watch. for more let's head to capitol hill where garrett hick has been on hand all night. tell us how it all played out and how lawmakers reacted, sperks low that pivotal moment when senator mccain took to the floor. >> reporter: it was a fascinating, dramatic

you don't hear that very often. if you went to bed early last night, the plan coming into this vote was republican leaders hope to pass what they called a skinny obamacare repeal. basically just cobbling together what they thought were the most popular parts of their repeal effort and squeaking it by with 50 votes and mike pence to break the tie. but it wasn't to be. three republican senators ultimately voted no. susan collins from maine, who has been a no vote all along. lisa murkowski from alaska who had been one of these off and on no votes on this but objected to some of the provisions, and then john mccain. coming into the night, john mccain said i'll only vote for this if i know it will never become law. i'd like to see this go to a conference committee. i'd like to see something worked out with the house. speaker paul ryan spoke to republicans, he put out a statement, but it was not enough for john mccain. in this dramatic moment on the senate floor, john mccain cast his vote with his words and with a thumbs down like a

emperor voting no and casting that third and decisive vote against this measure. republicans were stunned. they were furious. but the effort to repeal and replace obamacare with something else doesn't necessarily go away permanently. lisa murkowski spoke exclusively with nbc after the vote. here's what she told us. >> i want us all to get back to how we can restart because the work is not done. we cannot -- we cannot let the public believe that we are done with health care. we are just beginning. >> reporter: so a lot of questions now about how or even if the senate continues its effort to repeal obamacare or if they just move on to tax reform or some other issue. but, guys, make no mistake. a big defeat tonight for republicans and for the trump administration here on capitol hill. >> and as well for mitch

whether they do and in what form, we will certainly watch. garrett, thank you. meanwhile, it is the 189th day of the trump administration, and the infighting from within the white house has taken over the headlines across the country as dueling personalities take their battle into public view. with the central figure of it all, newly installed white house communication s director anthon scaramucci launching nasty allegations, threats and vulgar language at top white house aides just as the split between the president and his attorney general reaches new heights. nbc's kristen welker has the details. >> reporter: a profanity-laced tirade from the new white house communications director anthony scaramucci targeting two of the president's top advisers. scaramucci saying reince priebus is an expletsive, paranoid schizophrenic and attacking chief strategist steve bannon in such vulgar terms they cannot be repeated in television, also

self-promoter. sources inside and outside the white house say priebus and bannon tried to block scaramucci from joining the administration. it comes as scaramucci is publicly feud with priebus, too, referring to priebus in stark terms. >> some brothers are like cain and abel. >> reporter: the biblical reference of brotherly murder bolstering speculation of a deep divide which started when scaramucci claimed his financial disclosure form was leaked out, even though it's public record, and seemed to point the finger at priebus in a tweet which was later deleted. scaramucci backed off blaming priebus directly for leak, but then this. >> if reince wants to explain he's not a leaker, let him do that. >> reporter: today the white house press secretary dodged questions about whether the president has confidence in priebus. >> he'll make that decision. we all serve at the pleasure of the president. >> reporter: but this isn't the only public feud at the white house. the president hears spent days sharply criticizing attorney general jeff sessions for recusing himself from the

of interest as a former campaign adviser. sessions speaking out in his most candid terms yet. >> well, it's kind of hurtful, but the president of the united states is a strong leader. he's steadfastly determined to get his job done, and he wants all of us to do our jobs. and that's what i intend to do. >> reporter: sessions still fiercely loyal, even as speculation swirls the president is considering a recess appointment to replace him. >> the infighting in the administration is eclipsing the ajnda, and i think that's why so many republicans are rattled. >> reporter: and last night, scaramucci tweeted not denying the conversation saying, quote, i sometimes use colorful language. i will refrain in this arena, but not give up the passionate fight for donald trump's agenda. phillip, back to you. >> thank you, kristen. an indiana police department is mourning one of their own this morning. an officer was fatally shot allegedly by someone he was trying to help. southport police say liean

wreck where two people were inside an overturned car. as he approached, police say one of the occupants began shoot, hitting allan. he was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. police returned fire injuring one person in the car. both are being held in the hospital. it's not clear why the suspect opened fire. new details from columbus on the deadly ride malfunction at the ohio state fair. federal and state investigators are working to figure out why the fireball ride crashed and fell apart tossing riders and debris into the air. one person was killed and another seven injured. this morning, three victims remain hospitalized and two are in critical condition. nbc's blake mccoy has more on this tragic incident. >> reporter: investigators are working to determine what caused this horrific ride malfunction at the ohio state fair. several riders flung airborne as one of the gondolas detached, crashing to the groubd.

back left corner broke and people went flying. >> reporter: these two sisters were next in line to ride and frantically called their mom. >> just to hear the terror in their voice and, it was just -- i mean, indescribable. >> reporter: tyler gerald was killed. 18 years old. he had just signed up for the marines. seven other people injured, some critically. jennifer lambert is in a medically induced coma. denise gonzales is her mother. >> she was such a healthy, young lady, only 18 trying to have fun, and this is what happened. >> reporter: all rides at the state fair are now shut down and being reinspected. ohio has some of the toughest ride inspection standards of any state. 11 rides didn't open wednesday because they hadn't been given the green light. fire ball had been looked at several times in recent days as it was assembled by third party and state inspectors who noted proper assembly, no cracks or excessive

boelts bolts. it passed inspection the same day it malfunctions. any indication whether this was equipment failure? operator error? >> we don't know that. that's part of the investigation. >> reporter: ohio's governor john kasich encouraged all people to come to the fair and that all rides carry a certain level of risk. >> we're looking for guarantees in life. they don't exist. >> reporter: investigators are going to be forming what they call an autopsy on the ride, taking it apart to determine what exactly went wrong. across the country this morning from california to illinois to new jersey, operators of similar rides have halted their use until they can determine exactly what went wrong. phillip, back to you. >> such a sad story. thank you, blake. turning to our weekend, we look at the weather and a stormy start for folks along the east coast. nbc meteorologist bill karins has the forecast. do we need to ditch our plans for the weekend? >> some people may want to reconsider that beach, yes,

watches from northern alabama through virginia and the mid-atlantic region. a lot of clouds out there. rains just starting to begin in tennessee and kentucky. two to four inches of rain from richmond to baltimore, d.c., sa salsbury and atlantic city. those are the areas of greatest concern as we head into the weekend. should clear out by sunday but even saturday looks iffy. here's a closer look at your day ahead. you can see all the clouds on the map. don't count on a lot of sunshine. 70s and low 80s. the one hot spot continues to be texas. 102 in dallas today. right with you is san antonio at 102. we'll give you the rest of the weekend forecast coming up. >> thank you, bill. this has to be one of the craziest home runs in aaa history. check this out. a batter for the oklahoma city dodgers, he smacks the ball out to far right a

catch it. off the head it bounces over the wall. three-run home run. fortunately, though, look at that, pow, right over his head. that happened to jose canseco about 24 years ago. didn't cost the team his game. his team came back and won over oklahoma city. so all is well. >> all right. still ahead -- barcelona. dozens hurt in a morning train crash. plus, chilling details behind a murder aboard a cruise ship. it was tough getting out there on stage. i wanted to be clear. i wanted it to last. so i kept on fighting. i found something that worked. and keeps on working. now? they see me. see me. see if cosentyx could make a difference for you- cosentyx is proven to help people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...find clear skin that can last. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx, you should be checked for tuberculosis.

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death toll in venezuela has just surpassed 100 people. this comes just days before a polarizing election on rewriting the country's constitution. the embattled president nicholas maduro supports the vote but many in the opposition plan to boycott claiming the election is part of a power grab. now to alaska where the fbi has made an arrest in a murder aboard a popular cruise ship there. the woman killed while thousands of others were on board. and this morning, the victim's husband is in custody. nbc's miguel almaguer has the chilling details. >> reporter: with the emerald princess docked in juneau, alaska, the fbi says a murder was committed at sea. 3400 passengers were on board the cruise ship as investigators pored over a cabin splattered with blood. an affidavit says a witness walked into ken eths manzanera's room where wife christy was lying on the floor. when asked what happened, he replied, she would not stop laughing a

investigators say he had blood on his hands and clothing. >> i don't remember the last time we had a murder on a cruise ship in alaska. >> reporter: the utah couple was with their children. authorities took him into custody as he reportedly blurted out, my life is over. departing seattle sunday, the ship was diverted to juneau, arriving wednesday morning. court documents say one witness watched the suspect grab the victim's body and drag her toward the balcony. brian beckstrom was aboard with his family when he stumbled upon the scene. >> just like white tank top on and some jeans and the jeans were completely covered in blood. he came out and said, it's not good. >> reporter: early, the cruise offered musical murder mystery trivia the night of the killing, one of several events that evening on the ship. a husband and father is in custody. the cruise continuing its voyage after a

miguel almaguer, nbc news. just ahead -- the latest details in a train crash that injured dozens in barcelona. plus, a new look at the police response to a fatal car accident involving venus williams. you're watching "early today." nn my car insurance. huh. i should take a closer look at geico... (dog panting) geico has a 97% customer satisfaction rating! and fast and friendly claims service. speaking of service? oooo, just out. it was in. out. in! out. in! what about now? that was our only shuttlecock. take a closer look at geico. great savings. and a whole lot more. so find a venus smooth that contours to curves, the smoother the skin, the more comfortable you are in it. flexes for comfort, and has a disposable made for you. skin smoothing venus razors.

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dozens of people. >> we're in london this morning. what's the latest on the crash. >> reporter: good morning. the train crashed into a railway buffer inside the station after failing to brake when entering the station, but the exact cause of the crash isn't known yet. whether it was driver error or mechanical failure. the incident happened during the morning rush hour. the city center of barcelona. spanish emergency services say some 50 people have been injured, five of them seriously. right after the crash, dozens of emergency personnel were on the scene at the station with most of the injured being treated on the platform. but barcelona's emergency official said on twitter earlier that at least 18 people had been taken to hospital. thankfully, as of yet, no fatalities have been reported but, obviously, the five very seriously injured people are still being treated in hospital, and we have to see what the outcome of that treatment will be.

>> ali, thank you. just ahead -- the latest backlash to president trump's transgender military ban. you're watching "early today" on a friday morning. but to help others, they first had to protect themselves. i have afib. even for a nurse, it's complicated... and it puts me at higher risk of stroke. that would be devastating. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself. once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. xarelto®... to help keep me protected. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner... ...significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. it has similar effectiveness to warfarin. xarelto® works differently. warfarin interferes with at least 6 blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor interacting with less of your body's natural blood-clotting function. for afib patients well-managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor,

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apollo astronauts, cltding jim lovell and buzz aldrin will reunite in oshkosh, wisconsin, to mark the 50th anniversary of the apollo program which brought the first astronauts to the moon. fascinating to think how far we've come since then. >> absolutely. those men are looking good after all these years. a professional tree climbers from around the world will compete in this year's international tree climbing championship at the national arboretum in washington, d.c. first of aushlll, i didn't know there were professional tree climbers, much less a competition. >> they know their thing. it's not just get barefoot and grab the first branch you can. >> they got all sorts of gear, ready to go. still ahead -- bill karins fills us in on the weekend forecast. and the fatal car crash involving tennis star venus williams. place...

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new overnight. protests turn to cheers. the president is already sounding off. >> the motion passes. after years of contentious debate in northern virginia, school is about to get a new name. some say it's not enough. this might be four in a row. >> and back to back to back to back. the nats game that made franchise history.

take a look here. it may be calm right now. but those storms you see off to the west, well, they have us in storm team 4 weather alert mode this morning. good morning. 4:27. i'm aaron gilchrist. i'm erika gonzalez in for eun yang. those storms can really create some havoc. >> let's check in with chuck and shee sheena before we check in with the traffic. we have a flood watch for the area. meaning we expect a lot of heavy rainfall especially through the afternoon. >> yes, into the afternoon and overnight hours. you hate to see the heaviest of the rain in the dark because people tend to not take it as seriously because you can't see the water. weather alert. it's clearly going to be a flash flood issue. 1 to as much as 4 inches of rain or more betweenod

together with the heaviest of the rain likely tonight holding on to optimism that surn lwill e all right. flash flood -- 1 to 4 inches or more. flood threat increasing as we go into the overnight hours tonight. temperatures in the mild side. in the 70s now. only around 82 degrees for a high. 100% of rain. more on the timing when a few minutes. but first over to jack taylor and wtop. >> jack, good morning. the work crews working before it starts to rain. there on the beltway and maryland. just after branch avenue. it's not causing any kind of a slowdown. no problems to worry about. it's clean and green. let's get a live loo

maryland south out of frederick. kind of making that ride. nothing compared to what's happening. dry roadways. that's how we're starting things off. see how -- fingers crossed, how well things go. back to you. the ayes are 49, the -- senate republicans fell short in the latest effort to repeal parts of the affordable care act. this vote came down just hours ago and after a long day of negotiations. >> three republican senators helped democrats deliver the latest failure to deliver part of -- >> molette green is here to talk about this. >> senator john mccain casted the decisive vote in dramatic fashion surprising his

name was called, stretching out his hand and saying no loudly. loud enough for all of them to hear. the vote rejected with a 49-51 margin here. in all, we're talking about three republican senators. susan collins, lisa murkowski and john mccain voting no along with the 48 democrats. the vote was a major blow to senate leaders and president trump who all promised in campaigns to repeal and replace. here's reaction from the floor after that vote. >> i regret that our efforts were simply not enough. >> we are relieved. not for ourselves but for the american people. >> republican leaders including vice president mike pence pressed mccain for his vote for nearly an hour in the chamber while senators waited in tense anticipation. now, mccain eventual no vote was met b