A Tropical Storm warning for the gulf coast tonight, as the heat intensi intensifies. The temperatures going to approach 120 degrees in phoenix. So hot, airlines are cancelling flights and al is tracking it all. Those stories plus Jared Kushner speaks. Tiger woods gets professional help. And large and in charge, the remarkable video of two elephants teaming up to save a drowning baby elephant, today, tuesday, june 20th, 2017. From nbc news, this is today, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning, everybody. Welcome to today. Its a tuesday morning. So glad to have you with us. Lots going on in your world. Were going to tell you everything you need to know to get your day started. The tough talk from the president , following otto warmbi warmbiers president , just days after he was released in a coma from a north korean prison. And inrea mitchell is here this morning. Reporter its demanding the release of three other americans who have been illegally detained in north korea. I have made the worst mistake of my life. Reporter Otto Warmbier was 21 years old when he pleaded for his freedom. At poe warmbier passed away. Reporter a year and a half later, a tragic end to his story. Reporte its a brutal regime. Well be able to handle it. Reporter the white house releasing a terse statement from the president , condemning north korea. Ot ottos death, increases my warmbiers parents saying, their son looked uncomfortable and anguished when he returned home. But within days, he was at peace. He was home. And we believe he could sense that. Adding, the awful tortuous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible. The prognosis was grim as warmbier came home last week, carried off a plane in a coma after 17 months in prison in north korea. North koreans claim warmbier contracted botulism and fell into the coma of taking a sleeping bill. But doctors in cincinnati said they found no signs of botulism. Otto warmbier was a carefree College Student at the university of virginia. But in 2016, his life changed when north korea jailed him for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster. Please, think of my family. Reporter warmbier was s sentenced to 15 years of hard liner. The group that brought warmbier to pyongyang, tells nbc news, they will no longer bring americans to north korea. But as recently as a week and a half ago, that group was hosting tours. Tweeting what it calls a cheeky selfie. Overnight, john mccain and marco rubio called warmbiers death a murder. Rubio tweeting, Otto Warmbier should not have been in jail for tearing down a banner. Last week, warmbiers father spoke wearing the same jacket otto wore at his trial. Theres no excuse for the way the North Koreans treated our son. Reporter some in congress are calling for a ban of americans to north korea. And the state department is considering it. As for the three americans who are being held there, no word on when they might get out. If ever. Matt and savannah . Thank you very much. Lets bring in nicolle wallace, the host of msnbcs 4 00 p. M. Hour. It makes our heart just break. Now, for the white house, what do you do . You have the outrage. What can you really do about it . I was told to watch the president s reaction to these events in terms of how he processed the syria strike, the chemical weapons strike that affected and injured and killed young children, moved him to action. Its not that north korea isnt on the white houses radar. It is. They work seven days a week on north korea policy. But once the president has been touched by a tragedy like this, an example of the heinousnessofn the regime, he focuses in on it. Are you suggesting a military strike . No. Im not told theres a cause and affect, but in terms of his attention and focus. Hes a father. He loves his children. Whatever you think of his politics, sometimes the National Security morass comes into deep relief for him when theres tragedy like this. Nicolle, stick around. Todays special election in todays sixth congressional district. Its the most expensive house race in history. Its coming down to a veteran republican and an upstart democrat. But the real person on the ballot may be President Trump himself. Gabe gutierrez is in atlanta. Good morning to you. Reporter President Trump is up and tweeting about this race. Writing karen handel for congress. She will fight for lower taxes, great health care, strong security, a hard worker. Thousands have voted early, unheard of for an offyear congressional race. And spending has topped a record 50 million. [ cheers and applause ] this morning, the most expensive house race ever is coming down to the wire. How have the last 24 hours been . Exciting. Theres huge energy here. Reporter Democrat John ossoff pulling neck and neck with karen handel in georgia sixth direct. About the integrity and the competence of this administration. Reporter this suburban mom says one reason she supports ossoff is Hillary Clintons defeat. Our way of apologizing for not paying attention. And just assuming that everything would be okay. And now, were awake. Reporter the president tweeting his support for handel, who is slamming ossoff for living just outside the sixth district and for his outofstate donors. A squirrel is going to get a decent percentage of the vote if he has 30 million behind him. Reporter this volunteer says handels experience makes her the obvious choice. I know she stands for family values. Reporter the lastminute push after a fringe Political Action committee released this stunni stunning ad, tying ossoff supporters to the shooting at the congressional baseball practice. When will it stop . It wont, if john ossoff wins on tuesday. Reporter both candidates have denounced the ad. But this gop official says rejecting extremism is one reason that handel might win. I think ossoff is tied to extreme liberal folk ts. Reporter hes glad both candidates denounced that ad. But this race has turned bizarre and heated at times. Handel has said she received a white powder and a threatening letter at her home last week. The fbi is investigating. This has been a bizarre race. And todays the big day. Gabe, thank you very much. Nicolle, lets bring you back in. The expression, follow the money. You look at the amount of money being spent on both sides of this race by democrats and republicans. It tells you what they thinks at stake. What is at stake . What is at stake, is bragging rights. And special elections, we project on to them more than necessary. When scott brown won in 2010, he won a special election. Republicans told a National Story of antiobama momentum as a result of that health care bill. Expect the side to tell a National Story about the president or acceptance of his penchant for disrupting business as usual in washington. Republicans need to hold this seat. This is a republican district, though President Trump barely won in particular district. On the other hand, democrats cant keep saying, we came closer than anyone expected. They need to get some real victories if theyre going to try to have a threat of taking the house back. They do. But you have to look at the places where theyve come up short. So far, theyve closed, i think, with 20 points in kansas. Came closer than theyve ever come in montana. This is a very red state. Even though its a swing district, it would be a symbolic victory for democrats if they can pick off a kropcongressiona district in georgia. Nicolle wallace. Thank you very much. Also this morning, new controversy over the republicans push to overhaul health care. Its one of the most important pieces of legislation of the tramp presidency. With gop lawmakers crafting it in secret, democrats staged an overnight protest on capitol hill. Kristen welker has that story. Kristen, good morning to you. Reporter hi, matt. Good morning to you. Senate republicans say they could have an outline of their Health Care Proposal as early as wednesday, aiming for a vote by the july fourth recess. But republicans have been working behind closed doors, exactly what they accused democrats of doing when they crafted obamacare. Now, democrats are ready to declare war. Youre fighting back. Were fighting back. Reporter overnight, democrats staging a dramatic talkathon on the senate floor, threatening to hold up all business unless the republicans open up their health care talks to the public. Chuck schumer accused them of concealing a bill that hurts the middle class. Theyre ashame ofld it. Reporter the republican majority leader fighting back. Obamacare is collapsing around us. Americans are searching for relief. Reporter democrats taking turns, tearing into the gop. I say to the republican leadership, what are you afraid of . Bring that bill out. Theres no markup. Theres no committee hearings. Just 13 dudes. If this bill were as wonderful as its proponents would like us to believe, it would be out in the open. Reporter republicans under fire, after promising to repeal and replace obamacare for eight years. The biggest sticking point, medica medicaid. Conservatives want to spend less while moderates want more coverage for lowincome families. The president telling senate republicans, the bill passed by the house is mean because of its limited coverage, after he praised the legislation in the rose garden. This is a real plan. This is a great plan. Reporter still, the white house trying to keep the focus on health care and the rest of the president s agenda, with the russian probe looming large. Meanwhile, there could be some changes coming here at the white house. An official says press Secretary Sean Spicer could leave the podium and take on a more strategic role. Theres no timeline or decision. Spicer made headlines on a matter, though, saying the president could release details by the end of this week, as to whether theres tapes with his conversations with james comey. A lot of swrinterest in that one. A lot of reaction to Something Else that happened at the white house on monday. Jared kushner, President Trumps Senior Adviser and soninlaw, made his first public remarks since joining the administration. And today, he we gbegins an important trip to the middle east. Hallie jackson has more on that story. Reporter good morning to you. It wasnt so much what Jared Kushner said, but that he said it at all, after five months in the administration, making his most high profile, Public Comments in the white house. In one of the projects hes most involved in, overhauling the government bureaucracy. And today, he leaves for the middle east. A portfolio for someone who is always in the room but rarely center stage. Often seen but rarely heard until now. Very exciting. Reporter Jared Kushner, one of the most important voices in the president s ear, using that voice at the white house. And that made plenty of noise, even trending on twitter. From the private sector. Reporter as kushner made his most highprofile public appearance yet. Seriously, what does his voice sound like . Reporter the president s softspoken but highpowered soninlaw talking tech with some of the biggest names in the industry. Many of our federal systems are decades old. Reporter one of kushners roles, to reinvent government. The department of defense uses eightinch floppy discs. Reporter may be nothing compared to his next challenge. In f you cant produce peace in the middle east, nobody can. Reporter can we reveal how long weve known you. Reporter leaves today for a pr trip to the middle east, to jumpstart highstake talks, on peace that has evaded both parties. A white house official acknowledges any Peace Agreement would take time. Cautioning, this is the first of what will probably be many trips to the region by kushner and others, working closely with secretary of state Rex Tillerson and h. R. Mcmaster. Still, skepticism by some. I dont think it can be solved by sending someone who knows little of the region. Reporter kushner and advisers are set to hold talks separately with Benjamin Netanyahu and abbas this week. A sign his portfolio is not dimini diminishing. Kushner has come under scrutiny in the special counsels russia investigation. Hallie jackson, thank you. A lot of stories we want to tell you about. Tensions running high in europe after a string of terrorist attacks. In paris, a man was killed when he rammed a car loaded with weapons into a police convoy. And in london, a suspect has been charged in that van attack on pedestrians outside of a mosque. Nbc chief global correspondent has the latest on that. Bill, good morning. Reporter police are still questioning the man who admits carrying out this attack. And people in this diverse and tolerant city are questioning, too, when this wave of terror attacks will end. But the fear isnt just here because this is a tale of two cities. Two capitals, two vehicles used as weapons. But two very different attackers. In paris, a man known to police as an extremist used his car to ram a police van on the citys famed shamschampselysees. He died in the vehicle they found gas canisters. In london, a man unknown to police used his van to plow down worshipers. He was Darren Osbourne from wales, a father of four that didnt appear on any extremist watch list. He had, it seems, one motive. He said i wanted to kill muslims. Reporter and he drove from his home in wales to do it. Renting the van and driving 175 miles to north london. His family said he wasnt racist. It was a muslim imam who protected him from being beaten. By gods grace, we managed to surround him and to protect him from any harm. Reporter united against all terror, once again, in london there are messages of defiance and resilience. But many muslims here have told me they now feel very unsafe. It makes you think like, if thats happening something where were supposed to be safe, where is safe . London is a resilient city. Reporter the flowers grow and london carries on. But so, too, do the terror attacks. Four attacks in britain in three months now. And even though the family of this attacker say he was a troubled man, police are questioning him about terrorism, not about a hate crime. Matt . Savannah . Bill neely, thank you so much. Now, to the extreme weather that faces tens of millions of people today. Al, the storm last night in this area. I think i saw dorothy and toto fly by my window. It was crazy. Thats calmed down. Now, we have two big stories to talk about. A possible Tropical Storm affecting the gulf. And we have the brutal heat out west. Were going to look at the Tropical Storm system that would become cindy. Its 345 miles southsoutheast of morgan city, louisiana. Its moving northwest at eight. Its not so much the landfall were worried about. The heaviest rain is to the east of the system. And so, we do have Tropical Storm warnings stretching from cameron, louisiana, all the way to the mississippi alabama border. Cameron, texas. Were looking in i meant louisiana. Im sorry. What we are looking at is this system bringing heavy rain over an area that already has gotten anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of rain in the last couple of weeks. And so, the rainfall amounts here, locally, 8 to 10 inches to 12 inches of rain could cause massive flooding. And the heat. Phoenixs alltime record, 122. We should see 120 in phoenix. 114 in tucson. Yuma, 121. Palm springs, 121. Las vegas will get to 116. And in phoenix, they canceled flights for american airlines. Once that heat gets going, the pilots dont have what they need in their manuals to tell them how to fly above 122 degrees. So, it will be very interesting there. Raz, where are you . Guys. Im trapped, my boss wants me here. We are not leaving without you. Just go downstairs now. Rapunzel . look for my chr. That was fun. Wait till you see where were going. Introducing an allnew crossover. Toyota chr. Toyota. Lets go places. Goorge. Meteorologist bill henley. Grab your sunglasses and leave the umbrella at home today. Lead to a warm day. Last warm day of spring. Temperature goes up. Humidity falling. Wind kicks in. Winds out of the west gusting to 25 miles this afternoon. Low 80s for Lehigh Valley. Sunshine and 86 degrees for delaware and new jersey warms up to 85 degrees. Even the shore low 80s. Bright sunny anskies for the suburbs too. Have a great day. Thank you. Just ahead, tiger woods gett getting personal. What he is revealing about the professional help hes now receiving. And a very disturbing story. A startling look at the nations opioid crisis, as we take you to the socalled overdose capital of america. First, this is today on nbc. It takes a lot of people to make a good school day. Miss hoffman gets us there safe every time. Mrs. Migliaccio teaches us all about fractions and haikus and the erie canal miss reeves makes us sound amazing. And miss santoro always takes time to see how were doing. Miss simpkins keeps our school looking great. Recess wouldnt be recess without miss basile. 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