After a shooting outside. The president returning moments later. Were live with what happened. Class is in, but as some schools reopen today, masks are out. Walking into the school i didnt see a lot of mask wearing. The parents and teachers voicing concern this morning. New hot spots emerging in the u. S. As cases hit 20 million worldwide. And overnight, Vladimir Putin with a bold claim that russia has the vaccine. Sacked . The leaders of College Football holding emergency talks today on whether to cancel the season as star players and coaches say game on. We want to play no matter who it is or where it is, so well see how those chips fall. Just ahead, dan patrick on the sports uncertain future. Those stories, plus in the air. The youtube stars hearing that phil collins classic for the very first time. And it sends the song to the top of the charts four declads later. Oh, lord. Today, tuesday, august 11th, announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning, everybody. Welcome to today. Its good to have you with us on a Tuesday Morning. Hodas got the week off. I feel like im in high school. That was in the 80s and now its getting rediscovered on the air. Their reactions so authentic. Im sure phil collins enjoys the new love, too. Royalty checks bigger. Well talk about that in a moment. We will. There is so much happening on this tuesday including drama surrounding College Football with the season up in the air. Star players leading a vocal push to play, but will that push be enough . Were going to take a closer look and dan patrick will join us live. Also breaking details on the shooting near the white house. It led to the president being rushed out of a press briefing live as it happened. A dramatic moment. Kristen welker was right there. Shell have the latest. Lets start with those devastating storms in the midwest. It knocked out power to more than a million in the region. And a heat wave is intensifying on the east coast. Its hot already als got the forecast in a moment, but lets go to Gabe Gutierrez who joins us from chicago this morning hi, gabe good morning reporter savannah, good morning. These stores are known as a collectively as a derecho, a huge storm system impacting hundreds of miles. Take a look what these powerful winds did. Parts of iowa saw gusts up to 100 miles an hour. In this neighborhood in chicagos north side, car after car crushed. And this morning, residents here are assessing the damage oh, no its been a rough day today reporter this morning residents in the midwest are cleaning up after a devastating storm system pummelled multiple states monday leaving more than a Million People without power come home to this, to a neighborhood thats devastated by what looks like a microburst. Reporter winds so strong, some saying they saw a possiblee been a twister shredding a roof in chicago it was madness. It was crazy it was really dark i was really scared. Reporter strong winds moved in quickly through the rogers park neighborhood tearing down trees and destroying vehicles. One resident discovering his car had been crushed yet in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, hes still grateful im just glad im okay. I think because 2020, it is i think you know what, i think it has prepared us for stuff like this theres nothing i can do reporter the powerful storm system covering hundreds of miles blowing high winds exceeding 100 Miles Per Hour through iowa east of des moines and parts of indiana and nebraska back in chicago, residents are rattled but resilient. I just really pray and hope for the best for every famil thats out here living in these conditions right now reporter here in illinois, nearly half a Million People still without power. More than a million are without electricity throughout the midwest. Savannah, its going to be a long day of cleanup ahead. Back to you. I can see that, gabe. Thank you very much. Here on the east coast, lingering power problems from isaias and that dangerous heat wave not helping the situation al roker joining us now with that part of the story hey there, al. Hey, guys good morning and we are talking about 31 Million People under some sort of a heat watch or heat warning. Especially here in the northeast. And the humidity levels are going to be a factor hot and dry out west but here in the northeast, this is where were going to see those feels like temperatures flirting with 100 degrees from washington, d. C. , over to buffalo, albany, boston as well. Tomorrow temperatures drop a few degrees, but the problem is the humidity levels rise so its going to feel again like 102 in washington, 99 in raleigh. Nashville, 97. 94 out in cincinnati then look at these triple digit temperatures palm springs, phoenix, amarillo, ed my midland, record highs. As they say out there, you know this, savannah, it is a dry heat it is a dry heat. But so is an oven. Al, thank you so much. Well see you in a few for the rest of the forecast now we move to the scare at the white house. A shooting outside the compound that led to a lockdown inside. The president even being taken out of a live News Conference as it was happening Nbcs Kristen Welker was right there in the Briefing Room kristen, good morning. Reporter savannah, good morning to you it was truly remarkable. Something ive never witnessed before having covered the white house for two administrations now. The secret service escorting the president out of the Briefing Room amid a Security Threat outside the white house. It all made for some truly shocking and tense moments here. And it came as the president had set out to talk about the executive actions hed just signed and covid19. This morning authorities in the Nations Capital are investigating a shooting outside the white house that led to some dramatic moments inside involving president trump. The secret service interrupting the president just three minutes into his Coronavirus Briefing ushering him out of the room and into the oval office the president returning minutes later. There was a shooting. It was Law Enforcement shot someone, seems to be, the suspect, and the suspect is now on the way to the hospital i cant tell you the condition of the suspect reporter overnight the secret service says the suspect a 51yearold male approached a Uniformed Secret Service officer and told him he had a weapon then removed an object from his clothing he then crouched into a shooters stance as if he was about to fire a weapon the secret Service Officer discharged his weapon striking the individual in the torso. Reporter this Video Shows Police apparently surrounding the person who was shot. We heard a gunshot as we were going down the street. Reporter the secret service says the suspect and the officer were taken to a hospital the white house complex was never breached during the incident nor was the secret Service Protectee in danger. Reportere president was defending his decision to sign executive actions he says will bring Financial Relief to struggling americans after talks with democrats collapsed. The president s action include a new weekly unemployment bonus payment of 400, less than the 600 people were initially receiving. States are required to apply for the funds and pay 100 of the cost overnight, the National Governors association criticized the move, writing in part the best way forward is for congress and the administration to get back to the negotiating table and come up with a workable solution as the treasury secretary vowed americans will see the funds soon within the next week or two most of the states will be able to execute reporter now both the white house and democrats have signaled they are willing to ting scheduledions for a broader as for that incident overnight a Law Enforcement official does tell me the suspect was not armed with a gun savannah i have to ask you, kristen, about joe biden expected to announce his running mate any minute, today, tomorrow, wont be next week whats going on . Reporter certainly has us all on pins and needles, thats for sure we could learn bidens choice for his running mate at any minute or day now based on multiple sources who are familiar with the process who i spoke with the top contenders include senator kamala harris, Gretchen Whitmer and susan rice im told at this point all of the interviews have been completed and its up to biden hes looking for someone who will do no harm to his campaign and who will be his strongest governing partner in the white house. Well be working our sources all day long, savannah. Kristen, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Now to the on going debate over reopening schools in this country as more students return to classrooms from coast to coast. This morning, were hearing from parents and teachers concerned about reopening and what they nbcs sam brock has that part of the story. Sam, good morning. Reporter craig, good morning. Far from a magic formula here, disease experts say its pretty simple, keep your kids socially distanced, wash hands and wear masks for School Districts that cant do that, theyre likely looking at a recipe for disaster reporter this morning, schools across the country are facing their biggest test yet. Sending kids back into classrooms during a pandemic thats still surging in some areas. In indiana, this mom is trying to pump the brakes on covid19 they know to keep their distance and we cant really touch our friends this year. And wash our hands reporter but for every textbook example of masks and social distancing, parents and teachers alike are finding their safety alarm bells buzzing Frankie Clarke dropped off her youngest son for his first day in second grade. Walking into the school, i didnt see a lot of mask wearing. And i think that that should have been something that was mandatory and not optional reporter an hour west in central florida, a veteran educator reports full classrooms and crammed hallways for some reason they think school is a magical place and we dont need to be six feet apart. Reporter the concerns hardly specific to florida. A school in dallas, georgia, shut down inperson classes for at least two days after nine positive cases angie franks nephews were two of the students infected they werent socially distant. They did not have masks on and both boys set in classes all day long reporter the district superintendent writing that classrooms were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. As america grapples with a bigger problem, a new report finds in the last four weeks theres been a 90 jump in cases among children in the u. S. With 97,000 contracting covid in the second half of july. President trump pressed by nbcs news correspondent carol lee on the new figures. So do you still believe that children are essentially immune . They dont get very sick. And according to the people that ive spoken to, they dont transport it or transfer it to other people or certainly not very easily. Reporter one epidemiologist at Emery University reporting very different findings in georgia. Those younger groups play a role in transmission more broadly. Im worried well see it spread throughout the age range so sam, this debate as new york city set to reopen its schools. A big question seems to be whether teachers and students are actually going to show up. What do we know about that part of the story reporter new york city mayor bill de blasio has expressed confidence that will happen smoothly, craig. Hes siting a survey showing 74 of families are going this inperson hybrid model most families didnt select anything and they were automatically enrolled in inperson. Theres an option to switch back and forth throughout the year, four times maximum, craig. This could be fluid in terms of the numbers over the year. All right sam brock in florida thank you. Also breaking overnight, a surprising claim from russian president Vladimir Putin that a vaccine has been developed in his country and is already being given to people including his own daughter nbcs chief Foreign CorrespondentRichard Engel is on the story this morning. Hi, richard. Good morning reporter good morning. Russia says it has a vaccine and that its ready to go and russian president Vladimir Putin says that its effective, its safe, it provides longterm immunity and that one of putins two daughters, he didnt specify which one, has already taken it. That she had a slight fever after both of the two shots but that the fever went down but scientists are expressing grave concerns in the global race for a coronavirus vaccine, russia said today its already won even though it hasnt completed phase three trials thats not slowing russia down which today registered and approved for use its vaccine while continuing to conduct human trials russia already has a rollout plan its ambitious and fast. To start giving the vaccine to medical personnel this month, mass production in September Mass distribution in october before todays announcement, i spoke with the head of the russian Government Fund backing the vaccine. Well have 30 million doses so well be working based on this number. Reporter you want to vaccinate 30 Million People in russia this year well produce up to 30 million doses of vaccine then it will be up to people who want to be vaccinated but in principle, yes, we can vaccinate tens of millions of people in russia this year reporter scientists including from the w. H. O. Are surging caution saying only extensive and prolonged testing can determine if a vaccine is effective and safe u. S. Officials have accused russia of hacking vaccine research, claims russia vigorously denied. Accusations by some of the people who are afraid of russia having a sputnik moment to the vaccine. Or being the first out there when there is nobody else out there. Reporter the vaccine is officially called sputnikv for vaccine. And russian Officials Say there is already Strong International russia has not published much data about the vaccines. Rush is a Officials Say that will be published but scientists including dr. Fauci say they hope that russia and china, who is also working a vaccine, are carrying out the precautions that are required to produce this medicine. All right Richard Engel, thank you appreciate it. Back here, a deadly gas explosion leveled homes in baltimore. The exact cause of the blast nbcs tom costello joins us from the scene. Tom, good morning. Reporter yeah, good morning. Just horrific here three homes just leveled they just went up in seconds investigators, fire rescue crews spent much of the day and into the night searching for any survivors. And now theyre very much looking for answers. Digging through rubble and debris, investigators are searching for the cause of a major gas explosion here in baltimore. So many houses just gone. The blast toppled multiple houses killing one woman and sending at least seven others to area hospitals this was a rollout explosion. I seen smoke up in the air like 60 feet or so. I just took off running. I didnt have no shoes on. Reporter the explosion midmonday morning sent neighbors scrambling to help there was power lines down. There was bricks, cinder blocks. Just catastrophic. Started digging reporter residents like dean jones started digging through debris we could hear the gas and smell the gas. It was like so were like, they like, you go get people out of there tell them to move. Tell them move reporter baltimore firefighters quickly on the scene pulling a survivor from the wreckage i want everybody in the city really to rally around those individuals that are still fighting for their lives thats what we should put all our hopes, all our prayers, all our Energy Reporter fire crews spending hours climbing through the rubble in 90 degree heat a high humidity. Its a rescue operation right now were still searching. Reporter fire authorities declining to say how many people theyre still looking for. Many residents were told to evacuate now displaced from their homes during a pandemic. The explosion leaving many in the neighborhood without gas or power in the middle of a hot august day. When we got down there and saw the power line was broke in half and the wires we could hear the yelling. Its just something i never want to see again reporter yeah. Baltimore gas and electric is on the scene working with the Fire Department trying to isolate the cause. One theory here is that this city has a lot of ageing gas mains and pipes. Theyve been leaking, and that may have been a contributing factor guys, back to you. Tom costello, its hard to see peoples lives strewn about on the streets behind you there in baltimore, tom. Thank you. Just awful. Let us go back to the weather now, see what al is looking at good morning, al hey, good morning, guys again, were looking at that heat watch out west. Beautiful weather in the pacific northwest. Although medford, oregon, sun. 96 degrees, sunshine around the great lakes. Strong storms firing up again in the central Mississippi River valley were going to get to your forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds vo through our love promise, subaru and our retailers are proud to be replanting 500,000 trees. Good morning. We have a couple of low clouds. Well see a cool down in the bay area. Great view of walnut creek. Lets look at the microclimate highs. Low to mid80s in san jose. Morgan hill, 86. Concord, 86. Oakland, 71. A pleasant day ahead. San francisco 66. Couple of l