What police and eyewitnesses are saying go time. The Republican NationalConvention Kicks off tonight, with president rump set to appear every day and joe biden shaking off trumps blaclaims he is not fitr office watch me. What to respect as the republicans take their turn in the spotlight. Out of control i have lost so much if i thought to think about it too long, it overwhelms me. The death toll from the california wildfires, blazing 1 million acres this morning weather conditions only getting worse. Were live from the front lines. Shake up after months of family drama playing online, Kellyanne Conway, one of the president s closest aides announces she is stepping down. The surprise move, just days before she is set to speak at the Republican National convention and miracle baby a newborn panda at the national zoo defies the odds and captures hearts today, monday, august 24th, 2020 from nbc news, this is today, with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hi, everybody. Good morning welcome to today. Welcome to monday. Good to have you with us its great to see you, too, savannah we have a busy morning as the Republican National convention gets under way tonight, amid that shakeup at the white house. Well get to those in a bit. First, we have a big story in the Weather Department to kick things off. Twin storms, thats our overnight its the opening act of a hurricane double threat. So were going to get basically a right hook from marco and laura. Reporter laura doing damage as a Tropical Storm carving up caribbean islands and claiming three lives in the dominican republic. The more immediate threat to the gulf of mexico is marco. Louisiana already declaring a statewide emergency as coastal residents clog highways trying you put your guard down and youre hit by the mothership of all storms. Reporter colin arnold heads the city of new orleans Emergency Operations center. He says the big easy has made big strides since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. How does the level of protection compare to where you were . Its much better. We have a two and a half mile surge barrier, the great wall of new orleans. Reporter katrinas 15year anniversary hitting home for those who like this woman who lost three cousins. They tried to get out but couldnt. The water came too fast. Reporter others in the historic lower ninth ward worried even with the revamped levee system. The streets are flooded on a regular basis. Imagine two storms backtoback. Reporter the old problems remain the same. Im at lake pontchartrain. From here to the Mississippi River those two areas are at sea level but the whole city is below that, essentially a bowl. With more rain it could fill up. Savannah . Sam brock in new orleans. People very anxious there, hoda. People are anxious there yeah were going to bring in al roker who is tracking these storms if youve been to new orleans, they say its always the rain with these storms. Thats right. This is going to be the problem, even with marco as a Tropical Storm. Its going to bring a lot of rain with it marco is only 15 miles southsoutheast of the mouth of the mississippi. 60mileperhour winds its weaken overnight. Northwest movement at ten Miles Per Hour laura is back around cuba, with 65mileperhour winds, moving westnorthwest, at 21. Well start with marco it will rake the louisiana and then texas coastlines, as a tropical system. Dont let that fool you. Just because its a tropical system, doesnt mean it wont be big impacts. Heavy rain, flash flooding, a twofoot to fourfoot storm surge for the louisiana coast. And we cant rule out tornados ten inches of rain or more possible now, laura comes out through tomorrow morning, limited strengthening over cuba. But early tomorrow morning, it gets over the gulf heres where the problems develop. Th millas por hora, y su movimiente strengthening. Warm water a low wind shear, and high moisture, following marcos path thats where we see a lot of heavy rain were going to see winds and locally 15 inches of rain possible and with this system and the cone, we have to keep it very, very careful were looking at five u. S. Landfalls so far this season the record is six by september 1st. Were probably going t and again, heavy rain, saturated ground, isolated tornado. A lot of problems still even with a Tropical Storm like marco. And then weve got laura right behind it. Back to you. I know youre keeping your eye on all that. Thank you. Now to the breaking news out of wisconsin. A troubling new video has surfaced showing a black man being shot multiple times by a white police officer. That violent altercation set off a night of protests there. Shaquille brewster has the latest for us. Good morning. Reporter the overnight curfew put in places, it expires in an hour. It came after demonstrators came together to protest the shooting of a 29yearold man. His name is jacob blake. We must warn you, the video is disturbing. Overnight anger and outrage in kenosha, wisconsin, after the shooting of a black man by a white police officer. This video shows two with their guns drawn against jacob blake. After he opens the door, seven shots can be heard. [ gunshots ] blake is in serious condition after being air lifted to a milwaukee hospital. Kenosha police say they were responding to a domestic incident. Whats not clear is what happened before or after the video. Blakes girlfriend was there. She says two of their three children were in the car as he was shot. That man literally grabbed him by his shirt and looked the other [ bleep ] way and was just shooting him with the kids in the back screaming screaming reporter in a statement, wisconsins governor said in part, while we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is he is not the first black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in Law Enforcement in our state or in our country. Hours after the incident, protesters gathered outside the Kenosha CountyPublic Safety building and were met by police in riot gear. Tear gas canisters were deployed to disperse the cloud. The Wisconsin Department of justices Criminal Division is handling the investigation and has placed the involved officers on administrative leave. Overnight blakes father in disbelief. My first reaction was, he has nothing in his hands. So what did they fear to make them begin shooting . Reporter back here live, you see officers still in riot gear. You see some of the damage from last night. According tos blakes father, he is out of surgery and is still in stable condition. All right. Shaq brewster, thank you. Craig joins us now with a first look at the Republican National convention that is set to kick off this evening. Hey, craig. Morning. Good morning. Good morning to you as well. This week President Trump and Vice President mike pence will officially be nominated for the gop ticket. The president set to appear every night of the convention. And inadition, he will be delivering that Campaign Speech from the white house. Peter alexander joins us with more on all of it. Good morning. Reporter good morning to you. For President Trump heading into this weeks Republican National convention, an Urgent Mission to regain momentums where polls show a trailing joe biden. The president traveling to charlotte today. President trump will officially become his partys nominee. This convention is going to lea. This convention will lean heavily on members of the trump family one speaking each night, as we heavily on members of the trump mily. At least one speaking each night as well as other figures who have gained fame on the right. As the Republican National d ote Convention Kicks off today in the midst of the worst public gained fame on the r health and economic crisis in generations, President Trump isn the midst of the worst pub promising a positive message c health and economic crisis in generations, President Trump is promising while signaling hell ramp up ai his attacks on joe biden. I think were going to see something that is going to be attacks on joe biden i think were going to see something that will be uplifting an very uplifting and positive. D pe thats what id like it to be. T i think you have to defend it o be i think yourself by talking about some d yourself b of their lies. Y talking about reporter the president and his campaign allies are also s. Reporter the president and his campaign expected to fan the flames of d the culture wars. To fan the flaf by seizing on violent protests e wars that have marred otherwise by si Peaceful Demonstrations against protests that have marred otherwise peaceful racial injustice. On tap this evening, the monstr injustice. On tap this evening, the president president s eldest son donald sd trump jr. , the mccloskeys, the trump jr. , the st. Louis couple that pointed guns at black lives matter protesters passing their home. And South Carolina senator tim scott. The only black republican in thr protesters passing their home and senator tim senate. Scott, the only black republican i President Trump, his campaign says, will be part of the n the convention each of the four s cy nights. S he will be par capped off by his acceptance speech thursday on the south lawn. T of the convention each of t an unprecedented move by a ghtsf sitting president. F by his acceptance speech on overnight the democratic ticket, from the south on abc news fending off the la. Ov president s relentless attacks. T on joe biden responding to President Trump questioning his Mental Fitness. Watch me. President s relentless attacks joe biden responding to President Trump questioning his Mental Fitness watch me. Watch me look at us both. What we say, what we do, what we control, what we know, what kind of shape were in. Come on. Reporter on the economic plans, biden s mr. President , watch me. Look at us both, what we say, what we do, what we control, what we know, what kind of shape were in. Come on. Reporter on his economic plans, biden says he will not raise taxes for anyone making under 400,000. Kamala harris brushing off the president s personal swipes including calling her nasty. President s personal swipes, including calling her nasty. I i think that there is so muca about what comes out of Donald Trumps mouth that is designed h that comes to distract the American People from what he is doing every day that is about neglect, negligence, and harm to the deo distract the American People, from what he is doing every day, American People. That is about neglect, negligence and incompetence. , and harm American People. And absolutely. Reporter the Political Drama may help distract from a absol. Reporter the Political Drama may personal one for the trump distf family. Rom a personal one for the trump family donalds out for donald. Period. Is out for donald. Reporter reporter newly released ne secret secret audio recordings capturing Maryanne Trump Barry fiercely criticizing his conduc the president s sister, criticizing his conduct in office nbc ha in office. S obtained nbc news has obtained portions of 15 hours of recordings made hours of recording, firs in 2018 and 2019 by the t recorded b president s niece mary trump th author of a scathing tellall a the president s niece, mary trump, the author of a tellall about her uncle. [ bleep ] and the lies. Oh, my about her uncle. God [ bleep ], oh, my god. Reelin. But you know, it is a change of stories, a lack of preparation, the but you know. The change of stories, the lack of preparation, the lying, the holy [ bleep ]. Holy [ bleep ]. But hes appealing to the base reporter also this morning here in washington, as the but hes appealing to the base. Pr reporter also this morning here in washington as the president amplifies his attacks on mailin voting, louis dejoy unfounded attacks on will testify before a democratin voting, the postmaster jr. , controlled house committee. Twitter flagged another tweet b a house committe President Trump that claimed the without evidence that ballot twitter flagged another tweet by President Trump, that claimed without evidence, that ballot drop boxes are a security disaster and are not cov drop boxes are a voter security disaster and are not covid sanitized. Election officials from both parties say the drop boxes in many states have not led to bo widespread fraud and are safe. D fraud and are safe craig . Peter alexa Peter Alexander there in washington. Thank you. Just a reminder, nbcs live prime time coverage of the a rv Republican National convention primetime coverage of the republican nationa starts tonight at 10 00 eastern. We turn now to the battle against the coronavirus. Starts tonight at 10 00 eastern. We turn to the yesterday the president announced his administration would be granting emergency use for a treatment for covid. Kristen welker has got the details on this. Good morning reporter good morning to you. President trump making that dramatic announcement late sunday that the fda has authorized the use of convalescent plasma for emergencies. But now some democrats are demanding answers asking if the fda is being pressured by a president locked in a tough reelection battle President Trump unveiling a new step announcing the fda has issued a temporary emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma the president calling it truly historic. This is a powerful therapy that transfuses very, very strong antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to help treat patients battling a current infection. Its had an incredible rate of success. Reporter the fda commissioner also touting the move there was a 35 improvement in survival. Now, were waiting for more data, but this clearly meets the criteria that weve established for emergency use authorization. Reporter medical experts say convalescent plasma which has long been used to treat other Infectious Diseases has shown promise in treating covid but the emergency use coming out after an internal debate at the fda. Over whether they had data to initiate such a move it also comes a day after the president without any evidence accused the fda of impeding Clinical Trials for political reasons tweeting saturday, the deep state or whoever at the fda is making it very difficult for Drug Companies to test the vaccines and therapeutics. He was asked about that on sunday i think there might have been a holdup, but we broke the log jam over the last week its my opinion, very strong opinion. And thats for political reasons this has nothing to do with politics reporter but there was strong backlash overnight from democrats. Clyburn said he welcomes therapies that work but, quote, i am troubled by the president s desperate pattern of pushing unproven treatments. One Health Expert also questioning the move. Yes, its a large number, but you cant make heads or tails out of thigestive, but its hary a breakthrough. T make heads or tails out of this data and its hardly evidence. Its suggestive but its hardly a breakthrough and its reporter now, scott gottliee reporter now, scott gottlieb, th the former fda commissioner said he fundamentally rejects the fa commissioner, defended t idea that officials would impact agency, saying he rejects the idea that officials would the timing of a decision on impt the timing of a decision based on political pressure. This isnt the first time the fda has granted emergency use authorization during this s isn first time the fda has pandemic. Grant you might remember remdesivir emergency us was given the same green light during the in may after trial data showed that antiviral drug helped shorten hospital Recovery Time remdesivir was also given that in may, after that showed it in some patients. All right. Thank you. Were going to have more on the new treatment including an some. Thank you were goin exclusive look inside g to have experimental trials in the nextg hour. Experimental now to that scary situation. Thats comin out west where record heat and t ur now, to th lightning storms are hindering firefighters efforts throughou california. Lightning storms are its already one of the worst fire seasons in history and its firefighting efforts not even close to being over. Steve patterson has the latest from the front lines. Hey, steve. Good morning. Reporter hoda, good morning to you. Look. Firefighters across this state are bone tired. Many of them have been fighting these fires for more than a week. Some working 72 hour shifts. And as fire conditions continue to worsen, it is now more apparent that this is a battle with no end in sight. Overnight, exhausted firefighters back on the front lines locked in a desperate week long fight. More than 14,000 firefighters working around the clock to contain some of the lar