Rapidly closing. Breaking overnight, manhunt. A prison worker dead, an inmate on the loose in tennessee. Residents on edge. Very scary. We are latest with the desperate search to find the dangerous convict. All that plus Severe Weather outbreak, including a tornado near new york city and the new threat al is tracking today. Fighting back he had one job and couldnt protect us. Simone biles blasts u. S. A. Gymnastics in a new interview. The challenge she says she still faces every day. Way too close. The alarming video of a man petting a bison which has park rangers warning the public, hands off. Today is august 8, 2019. Announcer from nbc news this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hi, everybody, good morning. Nice to have you with us on a thursday morning we want to get right to our top story. What we learned about the red flag raised weeks ago to polic by the mother of the el paso gunman while families are beginning to hold the first funerals for the victims today. We have complete coverage and start with National Correspondent miguel almaguer. Good morning to you. Savannah, good morning to you. These tragedies leave behind so many unanswered questions. The gunman in dayton is dead but here in el paso, the suspect is alive and police want to know more on the other side of the growing memorial where tributes honor the 22 victims killed, the walmart parking lot in el paso remains a crime scene, investigators still meticulously piecing together what happened here now five days after the rampage, the family of the alleged gunman, patrick crusius, are left with questions. Patricks actions were apparently influenced and informed by people we do not know, they write, and from ideas and beliefs that we do not accept or condone in any way help reporter investigators say the gunman was motivated by hate the attorney representing his family telling cnn, weeks before the shooting his mother called police worried his son owned an assaultstyle rifle. But because he was 21, there was nothing officers could do. Loss of life. Thats the hardest part. Reporter walmart manager robert evans could see the gunman executing his customers he said his sense of normalcy is now shattered in the place he loved to work. To see someone disrupt that for no reason, thats difficult. Hallelujah reporter these are difficult days in dayton, ohio, too. The chaos and confusion is clear in the voices that called for help during the attack on that city there were shots and everybody laid down, and i dont where my sons are. Reporter when the gunman, 24yearold connor betts, opened fire outside a packed bar, nine were killed including the suspects sister like the shooter in el paso, his family says they too are devastated this morning in two griefstricken communities there may never truly be answers but in both cities the funerals will soon begin and the heartache may never end. Here in el paso 14 people remain hospitalized, including two people in Critical Condition but where the gunman remains alive here, the city can go through a Lengthy Court case and an appeals process the agony here could continue for months, if not years guys, back to you. A lifetime of pain unfortunately, miguel. Thank you. Meanwhile President Trump witnessed firsthand both the pain and anger of residents in texas and ohio and this morning hes faced with new criticism for using a day meant for healing to stoke political feuds. Nbc White House CorrespondentKristen Welker is there in texas. Good morning. Craig, good morning to you. Tensions were running high as President Trump visited here in el paso and dayton to comfort those still grieving in the wake of those two shooting tragedies and controversy loomed large over both visits President Trump greeted with protests and raw emotion as he visited with two cities shattered by backtoback Mass Shootings. We say to racism and white nationalism, no mas, no mas. Meeting with victims and First Responders. We are with you 100 . Reporter and speaking ou overnight trying to downplay any conflict after several lawmakers spoke out ahead of his visit we had an amazing day, as you know we left ohio. And the love and the respect for the office of the presidency, it was i wish you could have been there to see it reporter earlier in dayton the president asking as consoler in chief comforting victims and Law Enforcement at a local hospital these photos released by the white house, reporters not allowed inside but on a day that was supposed to be about unity and healing, the president also looking to settle scores with his political rivals among them ohios democratic senator Sherrod Brown and the democratic mayor of dayton nan whaley, who said she was glad mr. Trump came. I think the victims and First Responders were grateful that the president of the United States came to dayton. It was important. Reporter but also said she pressed him to pass stiffer gun control laws. I think he heard me i dont know if he will take action do i think were going to see another mass shooting tomorrow or friday . Probably because washington will not move reporter overnight the president accusing both lawmakers of politicking. I turn on the television and then they say i dont know it was appropriate for the president to be here, et cetera, et cetera. Same old line. Very dishonest people. Reporter there were tensions in el paso, too. Some local officials saying the president wasnt welcome after using divisive language about migrants it is an invasion you know that. Reporter candidates on the campaign trail, joe biden delivering blistering remarks in iowa this president fanned the flames of White Supremacy in this nation. His low energy, vacant eyes mouthing the words written for him condemning White Supremacists this week, i dont believe fooled anyone. So, kristen, did things calm down after the trip . Craig, actually President Trump continued to lash out on his political rivals on the way home back to d. C. And even in between stops calling out joe biden, beto orourke, Joaquin Castro by name on twitter. A democrat president ial candidate Pete Buttigieg stepped into the fray tweeting this, craig at times like this it would be helpful if our country had a president , a bitter backdrop to this day. Craig . Kristen in el paso, thank you. This morning calls are growing for members of equinox and soulcycle to boycott those popular fitness clubs after it was revealed the chairman of their Parent Company will hold a fundraiser for the president. Stephanie gosk has this story and the fallout this morning good morning. Good morning. Stephen ross, an investor, planning to hold that Fund Raising Event in his home tomorrow according to the invite, times are up to a quarter Million Dollars and some customers of the popular chain say its a bad look for brands that offer themselves as all inclusive. This morning some members of the high end fitness brand equinox gym, are holding equal galleries after owner and president ross is holding a lavish fundraiser for donald trump later this weekng many taking to social media criticizing and threatening to boycott the gym and its spinning studio soulcycle which has locations in 15 cities across the u. S. Over the bigticket event planned to take place at ross home talk show host andy cohen outraged outside the gym. Equinox and soulcycle are giving our money to the Trump Campaign reporter but later calling and admitting hes keeping his membership. I hate the cancel culture and the boycott culture. So this is more in the vein of the informed culture reporter comedian bill eichner going further saying he is canceling his membership saying money talks, especially with these monsters. Chrissy teigen tweeting to her more than 11 million followers, everyone who cancels their equinox and soulcycle memberships, meet me at the library, bring weights Fred Guttenberg going after ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins tweeting steven ross, my daughter was murdered in parkland shes danced at dolphins halftime shows this fundraiser ends our lationship equinox saying in part, neithe equinox or soulcycle anything to do with the event and do not support it. Ross releasing a statement writing, i have always been an active participate pant in the democratic process. I have known donald trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others. Mr. Ross obviously owns the dolphins as well one of the players is speaking out. This is about ross Nonprofit Organization called sports for equality it fights for social justice and against racial discrimination. And kenny stills, wide receiver for the dolphins tweeted, you cant have a nonprofit with this Mission Statement and then open your doors to trump. We will see if that fallout continues, stephanie, thank you. Also a suspect is under arrest after a bizarre and deadly stabbing rampage near los angeles overnight. Police say a man in garden grove stabbed a total of six people, killing four during a robbery spree. The first victims were found at an apartment complex. As our investigators were handling this scene, we began to get additional reports of several other acts of violence throughout our community that involve this suspect. Police say the killer also struck at a fast food restaurant, gas station and other locations before he was finally captured outside a convenience store. Also breaking overnight the manhunt for a dangerous escapee from a tennessee prison wanted in connection with the murder of a top prison official. Kerry sanders joins us with the latest on this good morning good morning. There is an allout search going on for the inmat who has a rap sheet full of crimes going back 20 years in this unusual twist, he made the break on his birthday. This morning in tennessee, a manhunt is under way for an escaped convict. Authorities believe it may have something to do with the murder of a top prison administrator. We ask the public to stay vigilant, stay aware reporter the state bureau of investigation putting residents on high alert saying 44yearold curtis ray watson, convicted rapist and kidnapper, should be considered extremely dangerous. We need to get this dangerous individual into custody. Reporter watson was discovered missing when th investigators went to investigate the death of the corrections administrator who lived on the grounds of the western Tennessee State penitentiary there was evidence in her residence that foul play was involved reporter 64yearold debra johnson, 38year employee of the prison state system rose through the ranks from corrections officer to warden to administrator. Watson now considered a person of interest in her murder. Very, very scary. Reporter watsons rap sheet dates back to 1999 and includes convictions for aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated child abuse but he was being held in minimum security, working as a farm laborer at the prison. Overnight the drag net expanding. Officials confident his time on the run will be short. Rest assured that we will find this offender and bring justice to the family of debra johnson. Watson was serving a 15year sentence and was due to be released in 2025 Authorities Say the inmate escaped on a tractor that was found about a mile away. What they dont know or arent saying is if watson had any help or whether he stole anything during his getaway, like a car or gun theyre also not revealing exactly how johnson died savannah, craig . Kerry, thank you. Now to that troubling new International Report just out this morning that says Climate Change could lead to a Worldwide Food shortage. Nbcs Anne Thompson joins us for more she covers the environment for us walk us through the main threat were facing basically it says there are two things happening one is Climate Change is already impacting the earth. We know the land is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet so thats creating problems. And how we use that land is creating problems as well because were cutting down the gifts nature gives us to absorb carbon dioxide, the gas that fuels Climate Change, but cutting down forests and rain forests. So those two things combined are putting us in this problem. Its a real wakeup call. Very alarming. There is some hope in this report. Absolutely. And that was the scientists, global scientists who created this report, they wanted to let people know its not dire. There are things you can do. And it starts with changing the way you eat. Instead of eating a meatbased diet, they suggest if we go to a more plantbased diet, we will actually reduce carbon emissions. Another thing, reduce food waste. Carbon emissions around 15 . And then the other thing is to change the way when we do grow food, change the way we do it. Go to notill agriculture and do a better job of targeting pesticides so there is hope. Really quickly, anne, how would changing our diets specifically, how does that lower because it gets back to cows emit methane methane is one of the gases that fuels Global Warming its a heattrapping gas if theres less methane in the air, theres less impact of Climate Change. Thank you youre welcome. Now to the powerful storms that swept across much of the east coast yesterday and look at todays Severe Weather threat. Als got it all covered. Good morning. Guys yesterday we had all of that Severe Weather moving into the northeast, 4,500 airport delays and cancellations and then we even had an ef0 tornado touch down just outside of new york city into new jersey causing damage luckily no injuries but a lot of flooding big problems and we will see more of that kind of weather again today. We have a severe storm threat, six states, 15 million peopl from western new york all the way back into Central Indiana, large hail, damaging winds, heavy rain, isolated tornadoes are possible two fronts pushing in, first one moved in already second one pushing into the northeast and that will bring a line of storms moving through fairly rapidly as we move into friday, showers will still linger in new england but the good news is less humidity, cooler conditions making their way in and in fact rainfall amounts in western new york not too bad but back further to the west as you get into the central plains, we are talking locally anywhere from five to seven inches of rain well have your local forecast coming up in 30 seconds. Good thursday morning. I am meteorologist, kari hall. A live look outside in dublin as you get ready to head out the door starting out with sunshine and we will have a nice and cooler day reaching the upper 70s in livermore. 78 will be the high in downtown san jose. San francisco reaching 64. We enjoy a cooldown for the next couple of days, and there will be a chance of showers across the north bay early on saturday but heating up again on sunday. And thats your latest weather. Savannah al, thank you very much just ahead gymnastics star simone biles revealing the emotional scars she still carries in the wake of the Sexual Abuse Scandal even as she looks to make history in gymnastics and saoirses father falling to his knees at the sudden death. His moving words california phone ds offs free specialized phones. Like cordless phones, phone ringing big button, and volumeenhanced phones. Get details on this state program. Call or visit compare comcast business to your current provider. 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