more extreme weather across the plains, bringing a devastating slew of tornadoes that killed at least five people in oklahoma. michelle grossman here tracking what's next. an nfl wide receiver hurt in a shooting in florida. this morning, questions remain

as to whether that shooting is the same one that left ten people hurt in sanford. the gunman there just a teenager. overseas, world central kitchen restarting operations in gaza nearly a month after seven aid workers were killed in an israeli strike. the ongoing war sparking new clashes at u.s. campuses. it's getting harder and harder to book a doctor's appointment. what's behind those surges that we're seeing in wait times? and when a call for help came in, this high school band, well, they stepped up, playing the soundtrack to one of the biggest events in college sports. how the champions are thanking those students now. it is monday, april 29th. "early today" starts right now. and a very good morning to you. i'm richard lui. we're going start with a deadly tornado outbreak over the weekend. in oklahoma, at least five people were killed,ed throughing a 4-month-old. about 100 others were injured. saturday night, the small town

of sulfur's downtown area. the red cross is opening a shelter there to help assist residents and the state's governor declaring a disaster emergency. one man telling nbc's marissa parra how he rescued his neighbors who were trapped in their shelter under ground. >> we opened the door. >> reporter: you had to rescue them? >> yeah, i rescued them. if they had been in there for a while, they probably would have been trapped. they probably would have drowned. >> reporter: in oklahoma, the roof of this dollar tree were shredded to pieces. massive semi trailers piled on top of each other like toys. the devastation is part of the massive storm system that brought over 120 tornado reports in two days from texas to missouri. let's go to nbc's meteorologist michelle grossman. good morning to you. and boy, this region for the last three days, huh? >> yeah, hi there, richard. relentless. we've been watching this friday, saturday, sunday. we're looking at another tough week. today a little bit of a

reprieve, but still watching the chance for strong storms. at this hour, taking a look at radar, satellite, lots of lightning here. we do have a tornado watch. and also a tornado warning in parts of louisiana. so really active early this morning. and this stretches all the way up to the midwest. we had heavy rain along this front. you can see the darker colors, the rest reds, the oranges, the yellows showing where the heavy downpours are. we have the chance for flash flooding throughout this monday. as we go throughout the monday, we're tracking the chance for more storms. we're look at that lightning, hearing the thunder. it's because of the front. strong storms with the chance for flooding. gusty showers moving across the ohio valley. tomorrow we're look at the same spot on friday, getting hit once again you. even see a little purposele there on futurecast indicating that we could be seeing hail as well. we're going watch that closely tomorrow, and looking at the chance for more storms wednesday, thursday, and friday. richard? >> lots of news there. thank you so much, michelle. the charity world central kitchen says it's resuming

operations in the gaza strip four weeks after seven employees were killed in a series of israeli army drone strikes. the atrocity sent shockwaves throughout the aid community and led to a sharp rebuke of israel, even from u.s. officials. it comes as president biden speaks to israel's prime minister for the first time in two weeks. for the latest, let's go to london. what's world kitchen now saying about getting back there into gaza? >> good morning, richard. well, world kitchen statement issued yesterday they continued to mourn the loss of the seven colleagues killed by the idf on april 1, but that the work needs to resume. the organization is one of the largest international ngos providing humanitarian aid in gaza, at one point above 60%. so suspension of their operations obviously had a major impact. the idf has apologized for that attack. they say it was, quote, a grave mistake. world central kitchen has been grappling with this really hard choice as they put it, choosing

between, quote, stop feeding during one of the worst hunger crises ever or keep going, knowing that aid workers and civilians are being killed in gaza. they've chosen to do the latter. already getting to work. world central kitchen posting a video on their social media, showing construction of a new field kitchen in gaza. they're calling it damian, naming it after one of the seven colleagues they lost on april 1st. meanwhile, president biden yesterday as well held a phone conversation with his counterpart in israel, prime minister benjamin netanyahu. a white house readout of that call says they discussed several topics, one of those being this potential israeli offensive on the southern gaza city of rafa. the united states has very publicly opposed this, but biden continues to also insist that the u.s. support for israel is, quote, iron-clad. just last week i think a good example coming when congress passed that $26 billion aid package to israel despite some of these very public

disagreements. back to you, richard. >> all right, matt. thank you so much for the latest on that. now the war in gaza continues to upset college campuses across the united states. in los angeles, pro-palestinian protesters clashed with israel supporters at the ucla campus over the weekend. some jewish groups have blamed antisemitism for the wave of protests, something disputed by the anti-war movement. >> this is largely run by jewish students. there are many organizations in the uc divest coalition several which are a expressly jewish coalitions. this is a broad, diverse coalition of members of our community. >> hundreds of student protesters were arrested nationwide over the weekend. police and faculties have been accused of a heavy hand, and their response to the demonstrations so far. ten people were shot and injured in florida early sunday. it happened at a late night private event at the cabana live

venue in sanford about 20 miles north of orlando. the suspected gunman, a minor, was subdued by a security guard and later arrested. the local sheriff's office says none of the injuries are life threatening. nfl player tank dell was shot in sanford sunday but officials are unable to confirm whether he was among the victims at the cabana live. the 24-year-old houston wide receiver suffered a minor wound. he was treated a at hospital and later released, the team said in a statement. both president biden and donald trump are expected to have relatively quiet days today with no expected travel for biden and no court proceedings for trump. but over the weekend the pair did trade barbs with biden roasting his rival at the annual white house. >> i want to thank you for the warm welcome. >> reporter: journalism, party and politics colliding in washington with president biden in rare form as comedian in chief. >> yes, age is an issue. i'm a grown man.

running against a 6-year-old. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the president using the white house correspondents association annual dinner to launch a barrage of jokes at his 2024 presidential challenger, former president donald trump. >> age is the only thing we have in common. my vice president actually endorses me. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: biden also taking a rare swipe at trump's legal troubles. >> i've had a great stretch since the state of the union. but donald has had a few tough days lately. you might call it stormy weather. >> reporter: the president has ramped up direct attacks on trump, but biden's age didn't escape the night's entertainer from "saturday night live" colin jost. >> the economy is kind of like you on the steps of air force one. it feels like it's stumbling, but there's somehow upward progress. jost also took some shots at

former president trump. >> can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a president of the united states at an event that doesn't begin with a bailiff saying all rise? >> trump reacting on social media sunday morning calling the dinner really bad and saying colin jost bombed and crooked joe was an absolute disaster. doesn't get much worse than this. president biden ending the night with a toast to the first amendment. >> to a free press, to an informed citizenry, to an america where freedom and democracy endure. >> the trump campaign tells us that trump and florida governor ron desantis met sunday morning to talk about fundraising and to bury the hatchet after a bitter primary battle. both trump and president biden will be back on the campaign trail at the same time this week. back to you. >> all right, aaron, thank you for that. with reproductive rights in the spotlight, senate

massachusetts minority leader mitch mcconnell weighing in on proposals for a 15-week national ban on sunday's "meet the press." >> back in 2022, you said a national ban was possible. so as i sit here today, i want to ask you, leader mcconnell, would you support a federal ban on abortion. >> i said it was possible. i didn't say that was my view. i don't think any federal legislation is likely to get 60 votes in the senate on any direction. >> while the long-time republican lead worry not explicitly say whether he supports a 15-week ban, he did tell kristen welker it's an issue that needs to, quote, be sorted out by the states. north texas drying out this morning after intense flooding, severe storms drenching the dallas area over the weekend, sending creeks spilling above their banks and leaving drivers stranded in high waters. thankfully, there were no reports of any serious injuries. let's get a check on the weather across the country for the week ahead with michelle grossman.

a little warmth i'm hearing? >> oh, yeah. a lot of warm. if you didn't pull out the shorts yesterday, you're probably going to do so in parts of the east. we're going to be in the 80s and 90s. a big area of high pressure acting like a heat pump. we're going to see temperatures 20, 15, 5 degrees above normal for this time of year. that puts sexual abuse the 80s and 90s. lots of red. on this monday around 86 degrees in williamsport. the record 186. we're going break our ties and records throughout the day. d.c. could see a high of 91 degrees that is a record there as well. philadelphia record 90. 88 degrees the forecasted high. as we go throughout the day, so warm in the lower mississippi valley, the gulf coast, we're tracking the chance for showers and storms.

some could be on the strong side with heavy downpours. that's your monday forecast. >> all right, michelle, thank you so much for that. coming up, taylor swift's historic debut on the billboard charts. ng> but first, why it's taking loer than ever before to book that doctor's appointment, and what you can do about it. head & shoulders is launching something huge. the bare minimum. anti-dandruff shampoo made with only nine ingredients - no sulfates, silicones or dyes and packaged with 45% less plastic -

giving you outstanding dandruff protection and leaving hair beautiful and moisturized. major dandruff protection, minimal ingredients. job done. new head & shoulders bare. even at this hour, it is not your imagination. it is taking longer than ever to get an appointment at the doctor's office. dana griffin explains why it can take up to a month or more, and what you need to know when you book your next visit. >> is that your favorite? >> reporter: when 4-year-old charlie reece got sick with a rare and potentially fatal auto inflammatory condition years ago, her mom megan said the wait to see a specialist near their home in colorado was six to nine months. >> that must have been agonizing as a mom who just wants her daughter to survive. >> yes. it was terrifying. it is a treatable condition if

you can get a diagnosis. but you can't get in to see a specialist to get that diagnosis. >> reporter: but megan wasn't taking no for an answer, and finally got an appointment some 2,000 miles away in boston. >> i was desperate. i didn't -- i wasn't going to lose my daughter. >> reporter: she is not alone. delays for most doctor appointments are at an all-time high and only getting worse. the latest data shows in the nation's 15 biggest cities, it takes about 26 days for a new patient to see a physician, same to see a heart doctor. and for an ob/gyn appointment, a month or more. dr. elana jurkiewicz at stanford medical center calls it a national crisis. why are patients waiting so long to get an appointment with their doctor? >> this is a trend we're seeing in every clinic, primary care, specialty clinics across the country. doctors' time is being sucked up by administrative tasks. doctors' time is being spent on

electronic medical records, paperwork, dealing with insurance companies. >> reporter: that burnout part of a perfect storm. why so many doctors are leaving. by 2036, it's estimated the u.s. will be short by 86,000 physicians while an aging population means there will be more patients to treat. so what do you do if you need medical care but can't wait? expert says try another medical professional in your doctor's group like a nurse practitioner. ask to be put on a wait list in case of cancellations, or go to an urgent care clinic. is this what you signed up for? >> this is not what i signed up for. i think i didn't fully know the extent of it before i went into medicine. and it is a reality that i have adapted to because i love the work. >> reporter: a struggle for patience as doctors try desperately to meet the demand. dana griffin, nbc news. and still to come for you, the latest honors for the "tortured poets department," and

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you know what tennis is, it's a relationship. we went somewhere really beautiful together. >> i'm taking such good care of my little white boys. >> i assume you planned this? >> not this part. >> $15 million, michelle. it's nothing but love for zendaya at the multiplex. "challengers" is a tennis drop in which she starred and produced served a top debayou at the weekend box office with $15 million. the christian drama unsung hero debuted at number two with 7.7 while godzilla in third in its sixth week in theaters. it was the perfect weekend for a

film in many parts of the country. >> it's so funny. i looked a the movie listings yesterday. i haven't been so in long. now i wish i went. >> i don't know, maybe tennis should be pickleball. >> do you play? >> no. >> we'll take it up soon. well, it only took half a fortnite for taylor swift to make chart history, to little surprise of course, the "tortured poets department" debuted at number one on the latest billboard 200 albums chart. the record set a new record for the largest streaming week for an album ever with over 2.6 million equivalent units in its first week. the chart high pressure topping album ties her with jay-z by the most number one for a solo artist in history. she said she is floored by the love fans have shown for the album. and there is true love. i think maybe my daughter and her friends added to that success, because that's all they listened to 24/7. >> probably 30 times each of them, no doubt. and by the way, a very different tone. i kind of like the sound.

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they all have been recaptured since their day trip. a utah couple has been reunited with their cat after she was accidentally shipped with an amazon return all the way to california. that feline was found in a warehouse there, surviving without food or water for six days. we'll be right back. ♪♪ thank you agent state farm. like a good neighbaaa, state farm is there. cut! hey arnold, i'm hearing “neighbaaa” - it's “neighbor.” that's what i said. neighbaaa. let's go again! like a good neighbaaa, state farm is there. cut! neighbaaa. still no. neighbor. neighbaaa. -br. -baaa. get me out of this choppa! like a good neighbor, state farm is there. cut! inez, let me ask you, you're using head and shoulders, right? only when i see flakes. then i switch back to my regular shampoo. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back.

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championship in st. paul, minnesota! ♪ ♪ >> this, the thrilling moment the university of denver men's hockey team won their tenth national championship. their secret weapon, the soundtrack in the stands. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: minnesota's edina hornets, a high school pep band. ♪ interest squad stepping up because denver have a band of its own. so the team's director josh burlow connected with band d director andy richter. tell me about getting that call. >> it was exciting and an opportunity i just could not pass up for our students. >> one, two, ready, go! >> with less than two weeks to the frozen four, time was running out. >> we were scanning sheet music and emailing through them to

and asking them to learn the denver fight song. boy did they ever deliver. >> talk about the challenge, andy. you didn't even know the fight song. >> well, luckily, the fight song is kind of short. and so the kids really latched on to it fast and were able to learn it. ♪ >> so these two dozen high schoolers suddenly in the national spotlight for the last two games of the season. >> i think it's crazy. this is a college event and we're high schoolers playing it. >> talk to us about the spirit that they brought to the game. >> that it brought so much energy and really inspired our team. they were part of an incredible moment. >> a slap shot with denver's team so grateful they took out this full-page ad in a local minnesota paper to say thanks. >> it was just electric and so much fun to be able to look at the fire in the students' eyes and they were cheering on as if they were a college band for denver. >> go denver!

>> reporter: what does this say about the power of good sportsmanship? >> sports and music came together here. it really had an element that makes something special and brought folks together and generated a ton of smiles. and smiles are important. >> and hallie, i've been to that high school. no doubt after meeting those kids, they did that. thanks to hallie jackson for that report. coming up on today, the new recommerce phenomenon. shoppers are getting major discounts on return or overstock items at stores across the country. we'll tell you how you can take advantage. thanks for waking up wit

we are tracking overnight developments in the middle east and word of a new israeli airstrike in gaza. we're live in washington with the latest including a new hopeful sign of progress in gaza. relief efforts