A woman at a wildlife park gets out of the car during an argument. A tiger pounces and drags her away. Scorched. A Massive Wildfire burning out of control near los angeles. Thousands of residents evacuated. Farther east, that oppressive heat wave is going from hot to hotter today, monday, july 25th, 2016. Announcer from nbc news, this is a special edition of today at the Democratic National convention with matt lauer live from studio 1a in Rockefeller Plaza and Savannah Guthrie live from philadelphia. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to a split edition of today on this monday morning. Savannah is down there in philadelphia. Im up here in new york. You know, i talked about this heat wave a second ago, savannah. The heat has been turned up on the democrats as well. In a lot of ways. Steamy here and as you mention a lot going on in the Democratic Party with the abrupt resignation with the head of the Democratic Party. Thats going on. A new poll shows trump leading the race. That same poll had him many points behind clinton just a week ago. Were here at independent mall in front of the historic independent hall. A city steeped in history. About 20 minutes south of here is the Wells Fargo Center which is where the actual convention will be held over the next four nights. In case you were wondering, the declaration of independence was signed right there at the Wells Fargo Center in 1776. Ive been studying my facts. You got mixed up there. Most of it is right. Savannah, well be back with you in a second. Lets talk about breaking news overnight. Another deadly shooting at a florida nightclub. This time in ft. Myers. Nbcs Kerry Sanders has made his way to the scene. Kerry, what can you tell us . Reporter good morning, matt. The authorities are looking very closely. At this point there are no strong indications that this is terrorism related but rather it appears to be a shooting at a bar here in ft. Myers. A bar known as club blu. Of course this all comes just six weeks after 49 people were killed and 53 were injured in orlando at the pulse nightclub, which of course means that we have another Florida Community on edge this morning. Terrifying moments overnight as gunfire erupted at a nightclub in ft. Myers, florida. Shots fired. Club blu. 30, 40 shots. People are scattering. Reporter Police Responding to the shooting in the parking lot of club blu bar and grill shortly after midnight and found several victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Two people died and at least 14 others were shot with injuries ranging from minor to life threatening. Authorities say three people have been detained for questioning. One of them five blocks away from the nightclub where shots were fired. This Morning Police say the motive is still unknown and they are actively canvassing the area looking for other persons who may have been involved in this incident. So authorities here are still sorting out details of what happened. We do know at the club blu they were having whats called a teen night and so there was no carding, underage people were allowed here. Theyre trying to get to the bottom of what happened here. At this point it does not appear to be terrorism related. Matt . Kerry sanders, two dead, 14 others at least injured. Thank you very much. Lets go back to savannah now in philadelphia. All right, matt. Ahead of todays start of the Democratic National convention there is a new poll out this morning as we mentioned that shows donald trump getting a big bump from the Republican Convention in cleveland. Take a look at these new numbers. Trump now leading Hillary Clinton 48 to 45. Clinton led in that poll by seven points just a week ago. And the convention is kicking off amid controversy. Debbie wassermanschultz announcing her plans to step down unexpectedly. Nbcs Andrea Mitchell is here with the latest. Andrea, good to see you in philly. The convention was supposed to open with the theme united together but the Party Shakeup proves it may be anything but. Bernie sanders supporters marching in philadelphia demanding revolution. What they got was a stunning resignation under pressure of congresswoman Debbie Wassermanschultz. The party chair will step down once the convention is over. Only 24 hours earlier she was headlining the miami rollout of the new Clinton Kaine ticket now taking a fall for dnc emails released by wikileaks. One email from wassermanschultz says sanders isnt going to be president. Another from a staffer suggesting they play up that sanders is not a religious jew writing i think i read hes an atheist. That could make several points difference. Clinton disavowing to 60 minutes any knowledge of the embarrassing messages. I didnt know anything about it. I havent read any of those. I am adamantly opposed to anyone bringing religion into our political process. Reporter the Sanders Campaign saying Party Leaders must be impartial during the primaries and this year were not. Clearly what we experienced during the campaign was some real bias and i think the chairwoman did the right thing. Reporter another sore spot for sanders who will speak at the convention tonight, clintons choice of tim kaine. His political views are not my political views. Hes more conservative than i am. Reporter kaine in an interview with telemundo conducted mostly in spanish tried to smooth over their differences. After a campaign there will be bruised feelings. Ive been through campaigns and felt that way. Reporter donald trump tweeting the democrats are in a total meltdown. After the republicans bashed clinton for a week, she told 60 minutes i seem to be the only unifying theme that they had. There was no positive agenda. It was very dark, divisive campaign. When i see this crooked hillary or i see the lock her up, its ridiculous. Its ridiculous. Reporter democrats are going to start fighting back tonight with the partys best speakers along with Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama and keynoter Elizabeth Warren. Bill clinton tomorrow and then the president and Vice President wednesday and former republican, mayor Mike Bloomberg noticeably not showing up former Vice President al gore. Well see you all week. Thank you. New jersey senator cory booker is scheduled to speak at the convention tonight. Senator, good to see you. Steamy philadelphia. I know. Whats going on with the party. Was it the correct decision for Debbie Wassermanschultz to resign . She did the right thing for the party moving forward. We need to unify and not a lightning rod for controversy. She plans to address the delegates. Should she or is that not a moment like what we saw with ted cruz at the Republican Convention last week . I dont know the details of how that will play out. My hope is that well show america who we are which is two candidates, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have come together and focused on leading america in a unified way. To push you on it, do you have an opinion about whether or not it would be productive to her to take the stage . Do you worry about a moment that shows anything but unity . I think the reason she resigned was to take that off the table. I think that shes going to do the right thing by the party. I really believe that shes not trying to be a point of division. I hope how the details work out, theyll work out in a way that benefits our party unity. Do you think this whole email scandal which shows that the dnc had its finger on the scale for Hillary Clinton, does that affect and disturb this fragile party unity . I played in lots of basketball games where i felt like referees were benefiting the other team. Doesnt stop the hard fought competitors. These were two people that ran a great campaign. Secretary clinton got millions of more votes. Bernie sanders voice and issues were integrated in this agenda. Ive seen her incorporate Bernie Sanders ideas and one of the things ill talk about and pillars for me who worked alongside Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren making college more affordable are things we see as major pillars of our campaign and a good thing. Great contest of ideas and in many ways it was a melding of our party. Before i leave this topic, Hillary Clintons Campaign Manager said Something Interesting on a show yesterday that he thinks the russians who were accused of actually being behind this hack are trying to influence the American Election because theyre hacking into dnc emails but not into rnc emails. Do you have any information or opinion on that . I have no information or no idea. Right now im not worried about russians. Biggest threat to america i see right now is Donald Trumps candidacy and what that will do to our country. A new poll out this morning shows that trump got a convention bounce. It shows him up three points. A tenpoint swing. He was behind seven points in that poll a week ago. Are you nervous . Im not nervous. This is early polls ive seen them go all kind of ways. This is a time where our country will have to choose which way we want to go. Republicans offer a dark view of america. A lot of negativity. We need to elevate our country as we face challenges abroad and here at home and we need to be united and strong as a country and not a candidate in office that will demean people because of their religion. Thats what concerns me right now. You were a finalist to be vp. Could have been you on the stage on wednesday night. What was that process like . Are you disappointed . Im really happy to be in the conversation. My mom has a saying behind every successful child is an astonished parent. My mom was astonished i was in the conversation. Its nice that happened. Well look for you tonight. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Lets bring in chuck todd and steve karn aky. Lets talk about this. The story line they wouldnt want. Did Debbie Wassermanschultz have her hand forced . 100 . Im old enough to remember when republicans had a unity problem. As in last week. The only good news about this for democrats, Bernie Sanders representative told me that the best thing that could happen was her resignation. Sanders team may be satisfied they got her resignation but we need to find out what sanders delegates are going to respond. Thats what well find out at 4 00 today. We dont know whether shell gavel in the convention in front of those delegates. Whether she plans to address the delegates still. You can have a real moment on the floor. Thats the thing. In talking to the sanders delegates out in the streets yesterday, they are happen shes resigning. You put her on that stage today, theyre not sitting on their hands. She said in that statement that she intends not to just gavel the contention to order but to address the delegates. Theres still time for her to reconsider and time for somebody to get in her ear and say you might want to think about what thats going to look like. If she thinks thats what she can get out of this, i gave a speech this convention, its going to be a scene. She has a primary by somebody sanders supported, that moment being booed at the convention, its a tv ready to be made. People think this is inside politics. Whats the bottom line . If dnc had been more impartial, would that have made a difference for Bernie Sanders . I asked the Sanders Campaign. Do you believe this cost you the nomination . Nobody will go that far. But you know what . Go back. Remember the primary calendar and debate calendar and the fact that the republicans were looking for prime time venues, democrats were looking for saturday morning cartoon venues. Im being a little facetious. You go back there and you cant help but wonder if youre a sanders person what if the debates had been a bigger deal. Could i have got traction sooner . You never know. What does Hillary Clinton need to accomplish from this convention . Ill ask you both starting with steve . She needs a bounce. Donald trump it looks like got some kind of bounce. Another new poll out in the last few seconds that shows a tie race at 42. At least a small bounce for donald trump. Maybe a bigger one. She needs to answer now. I think its all about getting the progressives actually semi excited about her. I think at the end of the day it is. Both of them were struggling just dealing with their own bases. Chuck and steve, well have many happy returns this week. Well have more from this historic city in a moment. We should mention nbc news will have live coverage from the dnc tonight prime time 10 00 eastern and one quick note. Tomorrow ill sit down with president obama at the white house for an exclusive interview right before he addresses this convention. Well have that for you wednesday morning on today. For now, ill send it back to you, matt, in new york. Busy week ahead. Thank you very much. Also this morning, germany has been shaken by a fourth attack in the past week. This time an apparent suicide bombing near a music festival. Officials say a 27yearold syrian who had been denied asylum blew himself up. The bombers request was rejected a year ago but allowed to remain in germany because of the strife in syria. The attack comes just two days after a gunman killed nine people at a mall in munich. To an out of control wildfire thats raging north of los angeles. Its already destroyed nearly two dozen homes and forced thousands of residents from their homes. Nbcs Gadi Schwartz is on the front lines. Good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt. A lot of people sleeping in their cars in parking lots this morning. This fire already forced evacuation of hundreds. Its claimed the life of one and even at this early hour, helicopters are up on the ridge making water drops trying to save more homes. In the hillside towns north of los angeles, another sleepless night. Hundreds watching a ridge as it turned into a wall of flame. Its like a war zone here. You cant stop looking. The socalled sand fire churning through brushed at an incredible speed nowhere close to contained. Its like someone threw a switch. All of a sudden the winds changed and picked up by 20 to 30 miles an hour. Reporter hundreds have been evacuated and homes are burning. So far at least 18 houses have been destroyed while firefighters and homeowners have saved hundreds of others from devastation. Another five minutes. Reporter evacuees protect what cannot be replaced. No time to wait for a trailer. Got to get them out now. Reporter some of the scenes surreal. The roads look like a drive through hell. Choppers hauling water through bright yellow skies. Back on the front lines, crews fight through constantly shifting smoke and flames as a town watches and waits. The only certainty, another day of fire ahead. And this fire is only 10 contained with fire crews saying realistically it will likely be friday before this thing is under control. There is no rain in the forecast. Matt . Gadi schwartz, thank you very much. Shaping up to be another week of dangerously High Temperatures across a big portion of the country. Al is off today. Dylan is here. Out west its hot and dry. Everywhere else its hot and extremely humid. Thats whats going to make it so dangerous. When you have humidity in the air, your body cant cool off the way you want it to. We have 53 Million People under some sort of excessive heat warning or heat advisory. That includes 15 states. 106,000 square miles. What is it going to feel like . Down through philadelphia if we hit 98 degrees, that could break a record for today. But the feelslike temperature when you factor in that humidity will feel like 106. New york city will feel like 101. Even up into new england its going to feel like its between 90 and 100 degrees. Down south its even hotter. Temperatures in raleigh about 97 degrees. Norfolk about 100. Your feels like will be closer to 110. Theres a cold front starting to cool things down back through the midwest. Minneapolis will drop to 88. Chicago will drop to 84. Still a little bit humid but youll notice improvements through the next couple of days. St. Louis will drop back down into the 80s by the end of the week. Chicago, beautiful on thursday at 82 degrees. And in the northeast well see things cooldown sooner than areas across the midatlantic. Stays hot all week long through d. C. And philadelphia. In new york city we should drop to 88 by friday. Thats a look at the weather across the country. Your local forecast is youve wished upon it all year, and now its finally here. The mercedesbenz summer event is back, with incredible offers on the mercedesbenz youve always longed for. But hurry, these shooting stars fly by fast. Lease the gle350 for 579 a month at your local mercedesbenz dealer. Mercedesbenz. The best or nothing. Good morning. Im bill henley. A hot and humid day ahead. The hottest day of the heat waive, 98 degrees this afternoon in philadelphia. Take the heat and humidity, you get the feelings like temperature, 105 for center city, 101 in lansdale and 102 in allen down. Late afternoon storms could turn severe today and that goes for new jersey into the evening. Look at wilmington, 106 this afternoon. And thats your latest forecast. All right, dylan. Thank you very much. Coming up, the harsh reaction from athletes