Whats at stake in terms of fighting against hate and those efforts to divide us, and i do know that im in a position to do something about it, so i felt a great responsibility. And the incredible power of people, right, who and im not the only leader in this. Were all leaders in this. This is so much bigger than me. Vice president Kamala Harris Last Night talking to oprah about her rise to the top of the democratic ticket for president. Well have much more from that starstudded sitdown just ahead. Also coming up, the trumpbacked republican candidate for governor in North Carolina is vowing to stay in the race despite a damning report on offensive and racist posts he made on a pornographic website some years ago. And well bring you the latest from the Middle East as israel continues its attacks against the Hezbollah Terrorist Group In Lebanon. Good Morning And Welcome to Way Too Early on this friday, september 20th. Im jonathan lemire. Thanks for starting your day with us. And we will begin this jampacked show with the gubernatorial race in North Carolina, which is being rocked by a bombshell report. Lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, a republican candidate backed by Donald Trump, says he will stay in the race despite allegedly calling himself a black nazi several years ago. An investigation by cnn found that robinson made dozens of lewd, offensive, and inflammatory posts including support for reinstating slavery on the Message Board of a pornographic website. According to Cnn Robinson made The Post between 2008 and 2012 under a User Name that he uses frequently online. Nbc news has not yet authenticated The Posts. The Cnn Report also says that robinson listed his full name on his profile as well as an Email Address he used on numerous websites across the internet for decades. Robinson was confronted with all that Evidence Yesterday in an interview with cnn, but denied making The Posts and suggested his opponent in the race used a. I. To try to frame him. This is not us. These are not our words, and this is not anything that is characteristic of me nor has it ever been or will ever be. Im not going to get into the minutia of how someone manufactured these tabloid lies. I can tell you this, theres been over 1 Million spent on me by a billionaires son. The things people can do with the internet are incredible. Donald trump who previously called Robinson Martin Luther king on steroids, and he did that multiple times while trump himself has not commented on the reporting. But one of his spokespeople who did say standing by robinson, the North Carolina Republican Party also released a statement Last Night supporting the candidate. Well have more on this later in the show. Elsewhere where, Donald Trump says jewish voters would be to blame if he loses novembers election. At an event Last Night titled Fighting Antisemitism in america, trump leaned heavily on antisemitictropes while bemoaning his low support among jewishamericans. The most popular person, but here it doesnt translate. Its a strange thing. The united States Election is the most important election in the history of israel, actually. If you think about it, how crazy does that sound, but its true. For all ive done for israel i received only 24 of the jewish you think of this, i really havent been treated very well, but thats the story of my life. You have to defeat Kamala Harris. More than any other people on earth, israel, i believe has to defeat. Youre going to still vote for democrats and it doesnt make sense. I say it all the time that any jewish person that votes for her especially now, her of the democratic party should have their head examined. Jewish people, people supposed to love israel in 2020 so remember i got 24, 25 . Now i did all of these things and i got 29 . Think of it. So i wasnt treated right. I literally havent been treated right, so if i dont win this election, in my opinion, the jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss. At that same event Last Night in washington, trump also said that he would reinstitute a muslim Travel Ban if he returns to the White House to prevent migrants from coming from, quote, infested countries and entering the united states. Take a look. We will seal our border and bring back the Travel Ban. Remember the famous Travel Ban . We didnt take people from certain areas of the world because i didnt want people killing people, but were not taking them from infested countries. Remarkably racist. Turning overseas now israels defense forces carried out strikes against hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon yesterday. According to an israeli official who spoke to Nbc News the operation involved Air Strikes and artillery, but Ground Forces did not cross the border. Israels military said the strikes were designed to degrade hezbollahs capabilities and infrastructure. This, of course, follows a stunning series of attacks targeting the militant group that exploded, walkietalkies and pagers earlier this week. At least 37 people were killed and thousands injured according to lebanons health minister. Nbc news spoke to a former senior israeli Security Official who said the explosions were a result of israel having to act while it still could. That official described it as a, quote, Use It or lose it situation. However, that same source added this, were not going to war with lebanon as of now. Joining us now live from lebanon, live from beirut is a Foreign Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, stefan caylon. Youve been reporting all week long about these explosions that have rocked lebanon. Lets start, though, with what We Saw yesterday, these missile strikes, hezbollah lobbing some back in return. Israel hasnt crossed the border just yet, but is there a growing Fear Or Expectation that a wider war may be on our doorstep . Thats been the concern all week these unusual and unprecedented attacks on wireless devices across lebanon sparked fears that an invasion was about to begin. That would have been a logical thing to conclude, that this sort of Hybrid Warfare where electronic devices and disrupting Hezbollahs Ability to communicate would have made sense if there was fog to be a Ground Invasion that happened around the same time. That hasnt materialized. Its been a few days now. The country is still very much on edge. Theyre still trying to investigate internally and reeling from this blow. And amid all of that yesterday there were some very heavy strikes in Southern Lebanon just as the leader of hezbollah began to appear on television. Steven, is there a sense we quoted that israeli official as saying its a Use It or lose it. Is there a Sense Israel feels the operation has been compromised and hezbollah is onto them, they had booby trapped these devices . Or like you suggested this is peppering the ground and preparing for a bigger attack . Theres been a lot of speculation about why this happened now and why such a capability would be deployed at this time. It sort of when things were calming down a bit from the height of tensions over the summer. So theres a lot of speculation there are some israeli officials and former officials as you quoted and speculated this was this capability was about to, you know, lose its potency because israel had discovered there were explosives in these devices and they would get rid of them. Thats possible. Theres also talk this was in preparation for a larger larger Military Sort of kinetic activity. But it could also have been sent as a signal to Heads Bola and an effort to avoid more kinetic activity. Its really hard to tell, and i think the coming days will tell where were going. Certainly psychological Warfare Part of this. Lastly and briefly tell us what should we be looking for the next 42 to 72 hours. I think the leader of hezbollah spoke Last Night saying there would be retaliation but not getting into specifics and saying the only way to end this was end the israelipalestinian conflict. I think we have to look at the border and the escalation from either side that could indicate a Broadner Sort of widening of this conflict. Live for us from beirut, lebanon. Foreign correspondent from Wall Street Journal stephen kalin. Still ahead here well Take A Look where Funding Talks stand on Capitol Hill as Lawmakers Head to a Government Shutdown at The End of the month. House speaker Mike Johnson meet with former president trump. Plus, what were learning about how Vice President ial nominee Tim Walz is preparing for his upcoming debate against senator j. D. Vance. Those stories and a check on sports and weather when we come right back. Weather when we com right back when you host, your bathroom can feel like a revolving door. Keep things fresh with febreze small spaces. Its an Outletfree Air Freshener that fights odors for 45 days. So even after every flush. You know your bathroom smells amazing. Lalalalala pain hits fast. So get relief fast. Only Tylenol Rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. They release Medicine Fast for fast Pain Relief. And now, get Max Strength topical Pain Relief precisely where you need it. With new tylenol precise. Craig here pays too much for verizon wireless. So he sublet half his real Estate Office to a pet shop. Theres a smarter way to save. Comcast business mobile. You could save up to an incredible 70 on your wireless bill. So you dont have to compromise. Powering smarter savings. Powering possibilities. Switch to comcast Busines Internet and mobie and find out how to get te latest 5g Phone on s with a qualifying tradei. Dont wait call, click or visit an xfinity store today. Bipartisan Government Funding talks have begun on The Hill after house republicans killed their own bill back on wednesday. The hill reports that top appropriators have launched bipartisan talks focusing on a clean threemonth funding extension. That means that former president trumps demand to get a controversial Voting Amendment into that package would be off the table. House speaker Mike Johnson, for his part, did meet with trump at some point Last Night while trump was in washington. Its unclear if any plans on Government Funding came out of that meeting. Elsewhere, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is trying to hold onto his Leadership Post by helping out some of his most vulnerable democratic members. According to reporting from axios schumers Super Pac is Spending Hundreds of millions of dollars between now and election day. Axios notes the Senate Majority pac and its affiliates have reserved nearly 255 Million in ads across eight states in order to protect incumbents as well as seats being vacated by democratic lawmakers. Ohio, montana, the biggest Warning Signs for democrats. And theres minnesota governor Tim Walz, and hes now preparing for next months Vice President ial debate against republican senator j. D. Vance. According to the Washington Post, walz has been participating in Policy Sessions and mock debates in both his Home State of minnesota and while hes on the Campaign Trail. Multiple people familiar with the preparations tell The Post that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg doing so in this personal capacity has been enlisted to play vance in debate rehearsals. The debate notes the two men have not yet held a full 90minute mock debate but are expected to do so closer to october 1st, which is when walz and vance will meet for their one debate hosted by cbs news. Elsewhere, a growing number of local Teamsters Unions in key Battleground States are rushing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president. That move comes after the national Teamsters Union announced earlier this week that it would not be endorsing a president ial candidate for the first time in nearly three decades. Specifically teamsters regional counsels of michigan, wisconsin, nevada, and Western Pennsylvania all declared their support for harris just hours after the National Union failed to endorse anyone. Additionally, the Washington Post points out that local Teamsters Unions in philadelphia, new york city, long beach, california, and miami along with the unions national black caucus and a group of retirees have all endorsed harris. I spoke to a senior democrat Last Night who says these Battleground States, thats where endorsements are going to matter because theregoing to be on the ground resources deployed by these unions. Next up here well turn to sports and highlights from Aaron Rodgers First Start at home for the jets since his season ending injury in Last Nights opener. Plus Shohei Ohtani makes Mlb History and helps the dodgers clench a spot in the playoffs and may have had one of the greatest games any single player has ever had. Well bring you that a check on the Weekend Weather Forecast when Way Too Early returns. E t when Way Too Early returns the secret is the powerful ingredient, apoaequorin, originally discovered in jellyfish and found only in prevagen. In a clinical study, prevagen was shown to improve memory in subgroups of individuals who were cognitively normal or mildly impaired. Stay sharp and improve your memory with prevagen. Prevagen. In stores everywhere without a prescription. Quick throw, good move. Into the End Zone goes allen lazard. That was quarterback Aaron Rodgers scoring his first touchdown at Metlife Stadium as a member of the new york jets. You remember rodgers was making his First Start there since living the Meadowlands Field a year ago with a torn achilles tendon. He played well, finished for 281 yards and two touchdowns as the jets ended an eightgame Home Streak against the patriots with an easy 244 victory. A pretty woeful performance for the patriots. They just simply have no offense. The question now is when do they turn to drake maye, their starting quarterback. This is team playing for a high draft pick. Lets turn now to an absolutely historic night in major league baseball. On a 12, ohtani sends one in the air, the other way, back it goes. Gone One Of A Kind player. One of a kind season. Shohei ohtani starts the 5050 club. The Los Angeles dodgers superstar, the superstar barely covers it. Thats Shohei Ohtani and hes the first player ever to hit 50 Home Runs and steal 50 bases in a season after that performance Last Night in miami. A lot of people standing, sure youre standing up at home, leaning on the edge of your seat. Rubbing hands together, certainly smiling. We all are watching this guy. Oh, my gosh, Shohei Ohtani, the greatest day in baseball history. That might be right. And that was Homerun Number 51 as totauny became the first player ever with two runs and two steals in a single game. Ohtani added a pair of doubles and a single for a career high six hits. He went six for six, three homeruns, 10 rbis, thats a team record. He became the first member of the 5050 club. He led the dodgers to a playoff clench. Meanwhile in cleveland The Guardians the second major League Team to secure a spot in the season. That marks the twins 20th Loss in 30 games and drops minnesota into a tie with the streaking Detroit Tigers for for that final al wild Card Spot with about ten days to go. Time now for the weather and lets bring in Angie Lassman for the weekend forecast. Hows it looking . Hello. Hello. Its looking a little bumpy and quiet skies from the West Coast to the east coast, couple of showers offshore for the new England Area and this line of thunderstorms working through for the Great Lakes. Thats one of the spots well see through the day today. Were not expecting that much in the way of severe weather and we could see a couple of rumbles of thunder. And more ahead as we look ahead to the plains and to watch again some Thunderstorm Chances there. Were also watching an area of potential development across parts of the caribbean where this kind of forms maybe could be a tropical depression and, again, something well keep an eye on as we are far from done with Hurricane Season just yet. Those temperatures out there were headed close to the autumnal equinaz. These temperatures are running way above normal for this time of year, and that continues into tomorrow. Mid80s for detroit. Tulsa hits near 100. Its going to be a warm one across especially the Great Lakes and midwest. Even the North East will be a little warmer than normal this time of year. But by the time we wrap up the Weekend And Head into next week, a little