watching "top story" ftonight. i'm tom llamas. stay right there. more news on the way. re news on. breaking overnight. multiple tornados touching down in oklahoma. reports of damage, downed trees

and power outages. so far, one person confirmed dead. meteorologist michelle grossman is here to track it all. a surprise announcement on israel's war on gaza. hamas saying it agreed to a cease-fire proposal. but israel is casting doubt on the deal, striking targets in rafah and warning 100,000 palestinians to evacuate. we have a live report on what could come next. donald trump back in court again, as his hush money trial resumes. what the latest witnesses said on the stand, as trump faces renewed threats of jail time after yet another gag order violation. a chinese company is taking on tesla in the battle for affordable electric cars. how it could impact american markets. and a beer run as cold as the rockies. how these cases of coors light were made to chill on a snow-covered road. it's may 7. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm frances

rivera. we begin with breaking news. severe weather striking the central plains and south overnight, with at least eight tornados reported since monday evening. in barnesville, oklahoma, authorities say at least one person is dead and others injured after the small town suffered a direct hit. the twister there destroying homes and toppling trees and power lines. according to the osage county sheriff, crews rescued several residents trapped by debris. the tornado tore through nearby bartelsville where residents heard a tornado siren, forcing people to rush inside to take cover. let's bring in michelle grossman. >> we are still looking at storms this morning. you can see where the storm system is right now. really heavy rain with it. lots of lightning. we do have a tornado watch for the next couple hours. severe thunderstorm warnings along this front here and a tornado warning. we're going to watch this over

the next several hours. you can see lots of lightning, hearing that thunder. if you do have severe thunderstorm warnings, take cover, get to the lowest level of your house. looking at the chance for heavy rain. we have flood watches. also flash flood watches. that's in the red. that means flooding is happening now or imminent. you need to be careful with that as well. as we go throughout the rest of this tuesday, 29 million people impacted by the chance of severe storms. damaging hail, two inches or larger. that's big, about golf ball size. looking at the chance for more tornados, and wind gusting up to 60 miles per hour. that is in the orange. then nowsch daanother day of st. paducah, fort smith. we'll take a look at these storms and warm weather on the way in just a bit. >> going to be an intense several hours and days ahead.

after american official had labeled them the only remaining obstacle to peace, hamas in gaza suddenly announced they had accepted a cease-fire proposal. scenes of jubilation proved premature as israel says it failed to meet their demands. the israeli air force beginning a bombing campaign in the south of gaza. let's go live to chapman bell. do we know what happened with this cease-fire? >> reporter: good morning, frances. it would seem like what's happened time and time again in these negotiations to bring at least a temporary cease-fire. the two sides, hamas and israel, failing to agree on language within this proposal. this time, though, hamas saying they had accepted a proposal for a cease-fire, followed by celebrations on the streets of gaza, but, as you said, those celebrations appear to be premature. israel saying hamas did not agree on the same framework.

israel's prime minister's office releasing a statement saying the war cabinet unanimously decided that israel continues the operation in rafah to exert military pressure on hamas in order to promote the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war. entert at the same time, although the hamas proposal is far from israel's necessary requirements, israel will send a delegation of working class mediators to exhaust the possibility of conditions acceptable to israel. israel's defense force saying they began an operation in rafah. and so far the airstrikes do not appear to be the strikes that the u.s. has been worried about, this full-scale assault on rafah that has worried the united states and other member of the international community. but, you know, what the hopes are is that they can try to salvage the details within this proposal and get the two sides

to come to an agreement, to bring the hostages home as well as bringing a cease-fire, even temporary to gaza. >> that is the high hope. chapman, thank you. the war on gaza is continuing to royal american universities. m.i.t. has ordered pro-palestinian protesters to clear their encampment. students are so far refusing, and there have been scuffles with police. protesters at the university of chicago erected a fence around their camp after talks with the school failed overnight. and faculty are warning the administration against bringing in the police. >>. >> reporter: most immediate concern is for the well-being of our students. we don't want them getting beat up, just because they're kachltsing on the lawn. >> several people were also arrested in new york city protesting near the met gala. meanwhile, columbia university has decided to cancel their main graduation ceremony, citing safety concerns. emery university also says that they will move their

commencement off campus grounds for the same reason. an american soldier was detained in russia last week, the army says. staff sergeant gordon black was stationed at a base in south korea. he had reached the end of his tour when he traveled to russia to visit a woman. officials say he went without permission from the army. he was arrested on thursday, accused of theft. he's currently in pre-trial confinement. the state department currently warns americans against traveling to russia. testimony will continue in a few hours in donald trump's hush money trial. the former president suggesting he will keep speaking out, despite a warning from the judge that trump could be put in jail if he keeps violating a gag order. here's nbc's vaughn hilliard. >> reporter: former president trump facing a new threat of jail time at his hush money trial after his tenth violation of the judge's gag order. >> he's taken away my constitutional right to speak. >> reporter: the judge directly addressing the possibility of

putting mr. trump behind bars over future violations. the magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me. you are the former president of the united states, and possibly the next president as well. adding, as much as i do not want to impose a jail sanction, i will if necessary and appropriate. >> frankly, you know what? our constitution is much more important than jail. it's not even close. i'll do that sacrifice any day. >> reporter: the judge fining mr. trump an additional $1,000 for complaining about the jury in deep-blue manhattan, saying it's 95% democrat. the judge saying the former president wrongfully called into question the integrity of the jury. mr. trump has pleaded not guilty for low-level charges for hush money payments to stormy daniels as legal expenses in his company's internal business records. if convicted, mr. trump could face anywhere from four years in prison to just probation. taking the stand, jeffrey

mcconney who oversaw the trump organization's accounting department, testifying about invoices, describing the reimbursements as legal expenses, saying he was ordered by another trump organization executive to reimburse cohen $420,000 for the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels. most from mr. trump's personal account. but on cross examination, mcconnie said he had not spoken to mr. trump directly about the business record. another trump organization employee testifying about mr. trump's process of signing checks, including to cohen, which were shown to the jury, saying, if he didn't want to sign it, he didn't sign it. it was signed in sharpie, and it was black, and that's what he uses. now the prosecution indicated today that they still have the number of witnesses to go. about two weeks, they expect, to continue to present their case against the defendant donald trump. at that point, the defense team

for donald trump will be able to present its own defense. and of course the outstanding question of whether the former president himself will take the stand to make his own case under oath. >> vaughn, thank you. the boeing star liner still on the ground this morning after last night's launch attempt was scrubbed because of a problem with the propellant valve. but whethen it does happen, it l have a crew for the first time. let's check back in with michelle grossman to get a look at the weather ahead for the week. good morning, michelle. >> we're looking at a big warmup today, tomorrow, many of us feeling like summer, especially throughout the east, and then a big temperature difference in the west, because we're much cooler there. today, washington, d.c., 87 degrees, that's above what's normal. we're into the upper 70s in pittsburgh, cincinnati, st.

louis 84. nine degrees above normal. we're going to see scattered record highs especially along the gulf coast with tampa into the 90s. 90s for montgomery, charlotte, philadelphia near 95 degrees. and when we get back to normal we head back t the gulf coast. temperatures into the 90s. 90 in houston. 92 in san antonio. that's your tuesday forecast. >> thank you. coming up, it's a bird, it's a plane, a first look at the new superman. but we're back with how china is jolting the electric car market. jolting the electri car market. thankfully, tide's the answer to almost all of them.

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now to the future of the road. in the battle for the electric car market, one company in china is leading the charge with cheaper models, but will it have an impact here in the united states? here's janis mackey frayer. >> reporter: in the competitive world of chinese electric vehicles. >> looking for a spot. >> reporter: that are going further and costing less than ever before, no company makes or sells more than byd, the chinese giant taking on tesla, offering cars for as little as $10,000. >> let's drive. >> reporter: along with higher-priced luxury models. 0-60 miles per hour in about three seconds. anything like this in the u.s.? >> nothing that i've drove. >> reporter: but don't look for electric cars from byd on american roads any time soon. >> u.s. government need to be more friendly. >> reporter: stella lee is the

byd representative. >> they are not ready. for byd, we are ready. >> reporter: what conditions would need to exist in order to consider an entry into the u.s. market? >> that's good question. you should go back to ask d.c. >> reporter: byd faces stiff hurdles in the u.s., including a 25% tariff on imports and pushback from u.s. auto makers who see chinese competition as a major threat. >> i think it's going to require trade restrictions for a limited period of time, which will allow the western auto makers and u.s. auto makers to catch up. >> reporter: even tesla's ceo elon musk who just made a surprise visit to beijing to meet officials said that without trade barriers, chinese evs had quote, demolish other car companies. byd began as a battery

manufacturer. and, with the help of government subsidies now controls every mile of its low-cost supply chain from parts to shipping. among the concerns of u.s. lawmakers and auto makers is that the plan to build a factory in mexico could allow the company to skirt tariffs under free trade rules. byd denies that's the goal. and there are growing fears china could use smart car technology to spy on american drivers. what did you make of the biden administration opening an investigation into smart car technology? because of national security concerns that this technology was coming from china? >> i don't understand. there's no data like an approve that. >> reporter: national security concerns are overblown? >> oversensitive and misleading. >> reporter: byd is producing more than 3 million cars a year with capacity for more. and few signs of slowing down.

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the first monday in may saw the steps of the metropolitan museum of art transformed into the garden of time. the biggest names in pop culture planted themselves on the red or the green carpet for the met gala in honor of the museum's spring exhibit with the theme sleeping beauties, reawakening fashion. bad bunny wore a whole hat thing that went on top of that custom.

and then j. lo, another co-chair with a sparkling schiaparelli gown, her 14th appearance at that event. she's literally glowing in that. there's lana del rey, and nicki minaj all understood the assignment with floral and nature-inspired fits. some taking it to the extreme. i don't know what you think about nicki minaj right there. there are also the no-shows, those expecting a red carpet debut by travis and taylor were disappointed. rihanna closed out last year's red carpet, was expected to attend but canceled after coming down with the flu. it's such a huge, huge event. and to be able to miss it because of that. but so many literally over the top looks. some of them, i kind of had to study for a little bit and try to figure it out. there's demi moore. >> reversing in age backwards,

and their makeup. i think everyone's makeup looks impeccable. >> very ethereal. >> staying in the world of fashion, on monday, director james gunn shared the first look at superman. the image shows the man of steel while an unknown threat looms. it flies into theaters next july. still to come next here on "early today." health is wealth. but in this case, a new gym membership? you have to be really wealthy. and packing for a trip has never been easier. a nude cruise setting sail next year. de cruise setting sail nex year. [dog whimpers] [thinking] why always the couch? does he need to go to puppy school? get his little puppy diploma? how much have i been spending on this little guy? when your questions about life turn into questions about money...

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the icy road. two people were hurt but have been released from the hospital. and the highway patrol said don't get any ideas, because the scene is being cleaned up. now to chicago, where a rare fossil has made its debut. many consider this dinosaur that walked the earth 150 million years ago to be the first known bird. our chicago station has the details. >> reporter: meet this bird with 50 tiny teeth and a long, bony tail. in this hologram, you can imagine the life of the earliest-known dine store that also qualifies as a bird. and the field museum is one of the few places on the planet to see it. >> small specimen that you will see is a huge addition to the museum and to our city. it proves the evolutionary link

between birds and dinosaurs. >> reporter: the governor and plenty of vips came out to see it. the specimens come from a fossil deposit in southern germany. this one was unearthed in 1990. it's been in the hands of private collectors. then a coalition of donors procured it for the field. >> every time you visit the field museum, you can take in something different, a different exhibit or specimen all woven into the fabric of core values of conservation and cultural exchange. >> reporter: the museum is now home to one of the largest fossils ever found and one of the smallest. this will be on display to the public through mid june. and then it's actually going to spend the summer in storage while its permanent installation is being perfected for the fall. >> that's another "jurassic park" installment right there. some residents in fort

myers, florida had an unusual visitor. a black bear wandered in the city's downtown area and led wildlife officials onquite a chase. >> i was surprised it was so deep in downtown. i can't think of anywhere close that there would be a woods that a bear would be residing this close to downtown. >> so first, they tried to lure the 350-pound black bear into a cage with food, but that didn't work. eventually, the bear climbed a fence, landing into an appliance store yard where officials were able to corner and tranquilize him. they're now moving the bear out of lee county to state land. thanks so much for kicking off your morning wit

this morning, just hours after

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