inquiries for the head of the "national enquirer." why the publisher of the popular tabloid is getting immuny in th michael cohen investigation and what it could mean for president trump. rains and raging winds. hurricane lane slams into hawaii leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. a rite of passage or reckless parenting? how mothertumbled into a national debate letting her alonar-o walk their dog and coded canine. sony gives man's best friend a high-tech makeover with an even higher "early today" starts right now. good to be with you on this friday. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. a celebrity tabloid could spell

more trouble for the white house. nbc news has confirmed federal prosecutors are granting david pecker immunity in the investigation intoel cohen. pecker is the publisher of the "national enquirer" and a long-time friend of president trump. >> investigators want to know what he has to say about claims the paper paid for the rights to an ex-playmate's alleged affair with mr. trump. hertory was never published. which kept it a secret ahead of the election. nbc's susan mcguinness joins us live from capitol hill with the very latest. good ing, flip and frances. it seems like several in the inner circle ofresident trump are stepping out. this is the latest. as you said, david pecker, -time friend of the tiesident, ceo of this tabloid, publisher, g immunity, agreeing to cooperate. he's alreadyg. talk the focus, "national enquirer's" efforts to kill stories damaging to the president t before election and hour money paid to that model karen mcdougal.re one turning from the president, who seems to value

loyalty. >> this whole thing about flipping, they call it. i know all about flipping. for 30, 40 years i've been watching flippers. everything's wonderful and thee they ten years in jail and they flip on whoever the next highest o is. or as high as you can go. it almost oughto be outlawed. >> reporter: it follows the president's attorney, former attorney michael cohen, once a fierce defender of thpr ident, pleading guilty tuesday to eight criminal counts and also offering to coopera in new york and also with the special counsel robert mueller. and also one whoeemingly remains loyal, paul manafort, the president's formern campa chairman, guilty verdict this week for bank and tax fraud. the president getting high praise from him. much respect, he says, for quote not breaking. phillip and frances evidentlit president has asked his lawyers recently about thedvice on pardoning manafort. >> all right. susan, thank you for that. after months of jabs from president trump attorney general jeff sessions is hitting back. his comments coming after the

president publicly tshedhe justice department yet again for its handling of the stigation into russian election interference. now many are wondering whether sessions' days are numbered with the administration. nbc'sel kristenr has the latest as the gloves come off in this simmering feud.>> reporter: fighting back after president trump escalated his attacks against attorney general ff sessions. >> i put an attorney general that never took control of thei ju department, jeff sessions. never took control of the justice department. lashed out: sessions just hours later. "i took control of the department of justice the day i s sworn in." sessions was at the white house for a preplannedmeeting. after unleashing his strongest pushback yet, declaring defiantly,"while i am attorney general, the actions of the department of justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations." for months m trump has lambasted the entir agency as being overrun by democrats. >> always put justice now with quotes. it's a very, very sad day.

>> reporter: it's a remarkable inflection point. sessions was the first senator to endorse candidate trump. >> i am pleased to endorse donald trump. >> reporter: but once attorney general, things soured quickly. after sessions recused himself in the russia investigation because he was a key figure on the trump campaign. ever since the president has excoriated him in a barrage of tweets, calling him everythiner from belea to disgraceful, even missing in action. and again -- >> he took the job and then he said i'm going to recuse myself. i said what kind of a man is this? >> reporter: while sessions tas es subtly pushed back before, his comments were the firmest yet. >> it is long past d that the attorney general stood up for the idea thathe job of the justice department is not to go after the president's enemies and to protect him and his friends. >> reporter: many republicans on capitol hill warning the president. >> it would be a ry, very,

very bad idea to fire the attorney general because he's not executing his job as a political hack. >> our thanks to kristen welker for that report. now to a picture per ct paradise that is no more. they are hunkering down in hawaii as they brace for a rareo ter with a major hurricane. the outer bands of hurricane h lanee already hit parts of hawaii's big island with 20es in of rain. the slow movement of the storm could prolong the effects of heavy rain triggeringan floodin landslides. >> lane, while it's been downgraded, isid and very moist. and it's going to hang around for a while as it moves because it's movin slowly. and that's why we're taking so much precaution here. >> the forecasters s the hurricane has weakened to a category 3 storm. it still hasim med -- or maximum sustained winds at 120 miles per hour. even if th hurricane doesn't directly strike the hawaiian islands, officials say many

areas could face life-threatening impacts. nbc meteorologist bill karins m will have in just a few minutes. as ohio state's football team prepares to start their season without the head coach critics say urban meyers' punishment for failing to report domestic abuse f didn't go enough. some pundits and fans are criticizing meyer for never directly apologizing to the alleged victim, courtney smith. others saying the school's decision makes it clear thatt prioritizes its successful team and coach over anything else. nbc's miguel almaguer has more. >> reporter: suspended without pay for three games, legendary football coach urban meyer sidelined by leaders at ohio state. and i want to apologize to buckeye nation.or >> rr: in a 23-page report investigators determined meyer was aware of 2015 domestic violence allegations against former assistant coach zach smith. and failed to report them to the university. >> i fell short in pursuing full information because at each juncture i gave zach smith the

benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: smith's ex-wife, courtney, says she sent photos of the alleged abuse to meyer's wife, shelley. zach smith denies the allegations. the investigation determined mer made false statements. >> i was never told about >> reporter: when questioned about his knowledge of the 2015 allegations. >> while those denials wereot plainlyaccurate, coach meyer did not in our view deliberately lie. >> reporter: with meyer facing media scrutiny, thelseport called his behavior concerning when he discussed how to delete text messages older than a year with a colleague. >> as a woman it kind of sends a message of something like this might happen to you and we might eventually but it might not be the right justice. >> reporter: disciplined by ohio state, the university's famed coach will be back on the field later this season. a punishment critics say puts football first.

miguel now to australia's political turbulence that continues as scott morrison is set to become the next prime minister, the countrs sixth in the las 11 years. morrison will replace malcolm rnbull, who has led the nation since 2015. so what's n at for australia for turnbull? nbc's chapman bell joins us now from london to bre it all down. chapman, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, frances. we'll have to s what's next for australia as the new prime minister scott morrison's going to have his work cut out for him, union only his own party but his country too before the next general election. in what's being billed as an era of extraordinary political instability and one of the mt chaotic in australian political history. what happened? members of the ruling l party in australia, which they are despite the name is actually a right of center party, conservative party thede called a lhip ballot. new leader scott morrison was chosen in a close vote making turnbull the fourth prime minister to be oust bid their own party beforehi fin their term in the last decade.

this fact has angered many australians. the officers of the mainle cher in this ballot who did not win but who supporters were key in forcing the vote were vandalized. the outgoing prime minister saying australians will beru dumb and so appalled by the conduct in the last week by the government that this disloyalty and deliberate insurgency will not be tolerated essentially. the incoming prime minister using his first speech to put the focus on the issues a trying to heal the wounds really. frances, if nothing else, this is proof that political turmoil is happening in other places too. >> oh, ye we're watching it there. chapman, thank you. we're also watching what's going on in hawaii. nbc meteorologist bill karins with us this morning. good morning, bill. >> today is probably the most dangerous day. this is where we'll see the heaviest rain over the islands including arriving eventually in oahu honolulu. but still the flash flood warnings continue in ondthe big is right now till 120-mile-per-hour winds the winds are dying off

i'm not too concerned with wind damage on the islands. there will be some gusts to 40, 50 miles per hour and there will be some minor damage and power goutages. nothwidespread. it's really a rainfall story. you can see the latest forecast path today does gke it drift pretty much to the north. not till tonight starting to bend it back there toward the west. notice the closest passage to honolulu and oahu, winds are at 785 miles per hour and all the rricane force winds are staying offshore. we've already had the hurricane warning drop for the big island now back to a tropical storm. the winds are not going to be high if they meet the criteria. it'se a rainfall story and rainfall forecasts continue to be 10 to 20 with isolate 30d to 40-inch rainfall reports. we've already got a couple around 26 inches on the big island already. that's a look at the big weath story of the day. now here's a closer look your day ahead. we'll also see a chance of some strong thunderstorms today in areath o northern plains. temperatures will be a little cooler behind the storm system but it's very hot today in areas of texas. enjoy the cool beautiful almost fall-like weather while it lasts because heat's coming your way

in the eas next week. a little more of the weekend >> all right, bill. thank you. some competition for your furry friends. they better watch out because could man have new best friend, this guy? sony's robot dog ow is coming to america. his new gadget can respond to voice and touch using sensors td cameras so you can pe enjoy play time with his toys. the pooch can also learn new tricks by sply adding them from an app. if you want to get this new age whirl it will cost you nearly three grand. >> right. you lost me there. also, it's cute but it's not furry and cuddly. >>inot the same th >> not at all the same thing. the stiff sentence for the man caught on camera harassing an animal. ♪ squeeze it on top ♪ squeeze it on it's chobani ♪ squeeze it on ♪ squeeze it on top, top ♪ squeeze it on top ♪ squeeze it on it's chobani ♪ squeeze it on top ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ when you need a hand ♪ lean on me, when you're not strong ♪ ♪ and i'll be your friend ♪ i'll help you carry on ♪ lean on me ♪ mmm... ♪ lean on me... ♪ mmm... ♪ lean on me... ( ♪ )

stop dancing around the pain that's keeping you awake. advil pm gives tossing and turning a rest and silences aches and pains. fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer with advil pm. fall asleep faster, but really it's just i mean, ias much for me.r her... [ girl screams ] buy one pillow and get one 50% off, everyday, to treat the entertainer in you. pier 1, this is me. with tough food, your dentures may slip and fall. new fixodent ultra-max hold gives you the strongest hold to lock your dentures. ever so now you can eat tough food without worry. fixodent and forget it. sg dash cam footage captured an out-of-control driver in mississippi flying across the median. you see there slamming into another car and a school bus. police say there were no children on that bus but the bus

driver had to be taken to the hospital for evaluation along with a mother and child who wepe in aate car. according to officials, the driver of the chevy camaro was charged with not having auto insurance a other charges may still be forthcoming. leading the news this morning, a prelimina autopsy of university of iowa student mollie tibbetts inds that her death was a homicide. the report confirms the body found by police earlier thi week is that of the 20-year-old. the state medical examiner said tibbetts died from "multiple sharp force injuries" and ti further exami may pliefrd detail. a funeral mass is scheduled for sunday at bgm high school in tibbetts' home town ofbrooklyn, iowa. a releaseme from the funeral says memorial contributions can be made to the university of iowa's stead family children's hospital in lieuf flowers. police arrested and charged 24-year-old cristhian rivera with first-deee murder. rivera's status as an undocumented immigrant quickly became a conservative talking point in the immigration debate. some of tibbetts' family and

friends have taken to social media and have spoken to news outlets asking that her death not be politicized. you may remember a video we showed you earlier this month of an oregon man taunting a son. that bison at yellowstone. well, that time the bison didn't get him. but the law did. on thursday he was sentenced to 130 days in jail and fiveears on probation after pleading guilty to misconduct at two national parks. i guess it could have been worse. this bison could have been in a much angrier mood. but i don't know what that guy was thinking. >> well, he's going to have to explai to all his buddies in jail what he's in for. >> karma's coming for him, buddy, for sure. still ahead, new business over the dangers of alcohol. a s parents unleash over mom's decision to let her 8-year-old daughter walk the dog alone. you're watching "early today." i wish you weren't so worried about moving. i'm hoping these nature ax auns will help me rel bit. at least we don't have to worry about homeowners insurance. just call geico.

geico helps with homeowners insurance? good to know. feeling better? i love you, pookie bear. [parrot 1] i love you, pookie bear. [parrot 2] i love you, pookie bear! [parrots] i love you, pookie bear!!! get to know geico and see how easy homeowners and renters insurance can be. happy anniversary dinner, darlin'. can this much love be cleaned by a little bit of dawn ultra? oh yeah one bottle has the grease cleaning power of three bottles of this other liquid. a drop of dawn and grease is gone. for over 100 years. try eucerin advanced repair. for dry, itchy rough skin. for immediate relief and 48-hour moisture. now try eucerin advanced cleanser in the shower. for immediate relief and 48-hour moisture. hitting the mid-morning wall? with up to 24 grams of hearty protein jimmy dean bowls help you avoid it.

shine on. the smoother the skin, the more comfortable you are in it. and now there's a new way to smooth. introducing new venus platinum. a premium metal handle boosts control... to reveal up to 100% smooth skin. venus

these people aren't just rich. they're crazy rich. you never should have told me you were the prince william of asia. >> looking ahead to what's theaters this weekend, box office success story "crazy rich asians" expected to hold the top spot with an estimated ticket sales of $17.5 million. expected to come in second place with $14 million is new release "the happytime murders" starring melissa mckarthy. it is a puppet show not intended for a younger audience. keep that in mind. >>fa story that has a lot parents talking. an illinois mom is outraged after she found herself under investigation by child services for letting h child walk their

dog around the block alone. and it'saising questions about the safety of our kids versus teaching them independence.en nbc's kri dahlgren has more. >> rorter: when corey widen let her 8-year-old daughter take their dog marshmallow for a quick walk -- >> i wanted her to start boarning responsibilities. she was gone forut five minutes, and the next thing i know police are at the door. >> reporter: responding to an anonymous complaint about an unattended child. they quickly decided there was nothing wrong. but days later the illinois department of children and family services launched its ow. investigatio widen took to social media and comments poured in. >> people saying that it was ridiculous that it had happened. rg reporter: in 2014 a south carolina mom was c with a felony for letting her then 9-year-old play in a park wdle she wor at a nearby mcdonald's. it took two years for charges to dropped. the laws on leaving kids alone vary by state and can be vague. in illinois children under 14 can't be eft witho supervision for an unreasonable

period of time. this summer utah became thers state to pass a so-called free range parenting law, where well-cared for children can go to school, theayound, or stay in the car alone if they're mature enough. >> the magic age for when to leave your children alone is when they're ready. and for each child it's inorvidual. >> rr: illinois authorities found widen wasn't neglectful. but say they invesgate all calls. now many are calling for more laws in support of parents. >> parents can make decisions about wn their children are old enough to be alone. >> reporter: a short walk endg in a widespread conversation. kristen dahlgren, nbc inews. don't have any kids. so i'm going to defer to you. >> i is a tough debate, ma because i would never do that new york city. >> never call -- m or never >> never let them go walk the dog in new york city. my daughter is 8. but you know, in wyoming, in a suburban area, you know, a cul-de-sac, yeah, sure. >> you watch the news, you see something happen like with mollie tibbetts in iowa --

>>ll the time. >> you get extra sensitive around this time. when things like that happen in the news >> good foint. >> not sure. but sometimes other people are like mind you business, i know how to raise my kid. >> totally can see t debate right there. >> just ahead, bill karins is back with our weekend usforecas. a surprising discovery. the secret police found und a fast food restaurant. you're watching "early today." n. ♪ the beat goes on. it looks like jonathan on a date with his wife. ♪ la-di-la-di. entresto is a heart failure medicine that helps your heart... so you can keep on doing what you love. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. it helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb.

the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. yeah! entrust your heart to entresto. ♪ the beat goes on. the smoother the skin, the more comfortable you are in it. and now there's a new way to smooth. introducing new venus platinum. a premium metal handle boosts control... to reveal up to 100% smooth skin. venus for over 100 years. try eucerin advanced repair. for dry, itchy rough skin. for immediate relief and 48-hour moisture.

now try eucerin advanced cleanser in the shower. for immediate relief and 48-hour moisture. your digestive system has billions of bacteria but life can throw them off balance. re-align yourself with align probiotic. and try new align gummies with prebiotics and probiotics to help support digestive health. i'd say i'm a pretty spwell... i try to be. get 3-wick candles 2 for $20 everyday, so you can find one to suit every side of you. pier 1, this is me. when you're not strong ♪ ♪ and i'll be your friend. ♪ i'll help you carry on. ♪ lean on me. welcome back. we continue to watch happens with lane as we go

throughout the weekend and all the flooding concern. pretty quiet weekend coming as we go throughout much of the lower 48. e are going to see a big warm-up happen in the middle of the country. the cool weather will be gone and the heat will be turned up in areas like st. lou and kansas city. nice mild saturday in the east. not much in the way of any severe weather. just isolated showers or stoads g through the great lakes. sunday, though, we could see some stronger thunderstorms,ev maybe evene storms. watch out for chicago up to d een bay, milwaukee included in that. e heat begins to spread. nashville jumps up to 93 degrees and getting warmer on the east coast. ummer weekend a but d.c.'s going to be up there ne s 90 andll pretty good in areas of the northeast too, guys. overall, looks like a pretty iquiet weekendthe lower 48 but not for our friends in hawaii of course. >> thoughts will be with them, bill. thank you. still ahead, the big enquirer mix-up that's gone viral. plus a russian military parade goes awry. you're watching "early today." when you have a baby gentle means everything to you and to us. so at johnson's,

we improved everything. we used 50% fewer ingredients. took out dyes, parabens, phthalates and sulfates. beat the top safety standards in the world and added one handed pumps. gentle means pure, gentle means safe, gentle means love. the new johnson's®. your digestive system has billions of bacteria but life can throw them off balance. re-align yourself with align probiotic. and try new align gummies with prebiotics and probiotics to help support digestive health. ayep, and my teeth are yellow.? time for whitestrips. crest glamorous white whitestrips are the only ada-accepted whitening strips proven to be safe and effective. and they whiten 25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

more a controver the university of maryland. >> good morning, everybody. it's a pleasant start to the day today. a hint of sntember is

"news 4 today" starts now. >> i'maron gilchrist. >> i'm erika gonzalez. it's friday. and the weather was stunning yesterday.

igthe question today is will we get more of i >>e'll head to melissa for the commute here. but chuck bell and sheena parveen will tell us what the weather is going to do. >> like he doesn't kno our names if it's not front right it of him. >> wow. what a fantast morning it is. >> yes. yesterday was sbeautiful, t morning, a little cooler in some spots. a lot of people will think it feels like fall. look at the numbers. 56, dulles and manassas. we were not i t 50s yesterday morning. as you're ready to walk out the door, you knowit's going to be a little cooler. washington. here's your wake-up weather. many suburbs by 7:00