a star witness speaking out. michael cohen set to take the stand in just hours in donald trump's hush money trial. we're live with what to expect from the key testimony. breaking overnight. the day-long manhunt for

suspected cop killer has come to an end. what police say happened after an hours' long standoff with the suspect. a weekend packed with wicked weather. a tornado tore across western pennsylvania, ripping the steeple off a church packed with people. hear from the pastor about the terrifying moments. you get an apology. why oprah is saying sorry for the role she has played in all the weight loss craziness over the years. and a supersized deal. mcdonald's cooking up a plan the get customers back in the door. but will it set off a new fast food war? it's monday, may 13th. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. we are hours away from what could be a pivotal day in the hush money trial of donald trump. multiple sources have told nbc news that mr. trump's former fixer michael cohen will take the stand today. he's expected to be a key witness for the prosecution.

nbc's brie jackson joins us now. good morning, brie. why is michael cohen so important to this case? >> good morning, frances. michael cohen is considered a key witness because he could connect a lot of dots for the prosecution. cohen paid adult film star stormy daniels $130,000 as part of an alleged plot to catch and kill her story about a sexual encounter with donald trump before the 2016 election. 11 counts are for checks written to michael cohen. mr. trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up these payments. michael cohen cave a preview of his testimony on msnbc last month. >> i'm the narrater of this story. the narrater of the story that is going to be explaining the documentary evidence as well as the corroborating testimony. >> now we can expect to see the defense team portray tony as an unprerest liable narrater. mr. trump's team is looking to

undermine cohen's credibility, using his criminal past and history of lying under oath. trump's attorneys asked the judge to stop cohen from making public comment. he has been attacking his former boss on social media lately. nbc news has learned that prosecutors have been working with cohen in preparing for his testimony for an entire year, and his time on the stand is expected to last several days. but a prosecutor said that they could rest their case by the end of this week. frances? >> brie jackson for us, brie, thanks. there is breaking news this morning. the manhunt for the suspect in the fatal shooting of an ohio police officer has come to an end. authorities say the 24-year-old deshawn anthony vaughn was found dead inside an apartment in the cleveland suburb of shaker heights after an hours' long standoff with law enforcement. the manhunt began after an officer was shot in euclid, ohio on saturday. jacob derbin died at the hospital. after the shooting, vaughn posted a video to instagram

saying he could not go back to jail. police have not said how vaughn died, but our cleveland affiliate reports hearing gunshots right before the standoff ended. . new this morning, vladimir putin has replaced his defense minister. sergei shoigu has been in office for nearly 12 years. he will now head up russia's national security council instead. while former deputy prime minister andrei belousov is the new defense minister, it is the most significant shake-up of putin's government since the invasion of ukraine, and comes amid a renewed russian ground offensive in the northeastern part of the country, which has sent thousands of people fleeing their homes. after talks between israel and hamas collapsed without an agreement, israel launched a series of attacks across the gaza strip over the weekend, killing dozens of palestinians, including young children. and the u.n. says 300,000 people have now evacuated rafah ahead of a promised israeli invasion. on nbc's "meet the press,"

secretary of state antony blinken told kristen welke they're civilians are still at risk. >> there has to be a credible plan for the civilian. >> have you seen a credible plan? >> we have not. >> for the latest, letters get to claudio lavanga. but first, we should warn you, the images coming out of gaza are disturbing. claudio, good morning. >> good morning, frances. well, according to the palestinians on sunday, there has been heavy israeli bombardment and fighting in the north of gaza and the idf has said it killed several hamas militants there, which is yet another proof that hamas has managed to return and regroup into areas of gaza that have previously been declared cleared by israel since the start of the war. many of the palestinians are still finding shelter, many had to be moved from other places they were displaced from the

enclave. well, they are panicking in anticipation of that imminent israeli invasion, despite the calls by many allies, including the united states to hold fire. now another person now is calling for a ceasefire is ehud olmert, who is a former israeli prime minister, a former member of the netanyahu's party. he wrote an open opinion piece in the newspaper haaretz. let me quote you a part of it. "anyone who thinks it's possible to return the hostages without a clear and total cessation of the war is deluding himself and the israeli public. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is deliberately and knowingly foiling any chance of reaching such a deal." important words coming out of israel as well saying the ceasefire is the only way to get the remaining hostages home. frances? >> claudio, thank you. anti-war protester taking center stage at college graduations across the u.s. at duke university, some students booed and walked out as comedian jerry seinfeld was

introduced as the commencement speaker. some were waving palestinian flags. the jewish celebrity, who has been vocal in support of israel, did deliver his speeches to the graduates. >> a lot of you are thinking i can't believe they invited this guy. too late. i say use your privilege. i grew up a jewish boy from new york that is a privilege if you want to be a comedian. >> duke said in a statement that they respect the right of everyone to express their views peacefully. this was one of many graduation protests this weekend from virginia to california, students staged walkouts, led chants, and found other ways to share anti-war messages at their ceremonies. baltimore will take a major step toward reopening the city's port after that deadly bridge disaster in march. the bridge collapsed after a cargo ship slammed into it, killing six men and trapping the ship underneath. this animation shows how officials plan to use explosives

today to destroy key sections of the wreckage and free the ship so it can finally get back to shore. maryland's governor will hold a press conference later this morning to talk about efforts to reopen the port. now a stunning new video of a tornado ripping through western pennsylvania and the terrifying moment it slammed into a church with worshipers inside. nbc's george solis has the details. >> reporter: watch as this tornado rips through western pennsylvania, shredding ro rooftops, the national weather service says primarily the twister was an ef-2. wind speeds up to 118 miles per hour, leaving some residents forced to seek shelter. including about 100 members of this local church, some infants. >> i go out and i see debris flying all over the auditorium. i immediately tell everybody down in the basement. >> reporter: the tornado striking in the middle of church service. ♪ watch as the lights go out as

the pastor's wife was in midst of a song. >> i thought i heard the windows start to shatter. and then the sound was like a train coming through. >> reporter: that's the church steeple that flew off the building and damaged several cars. the pastor says amazingly, no one was seriously hurt. severe weather continuing a trend of tornadoes over the weekend with four preliminary ones reported yesterday across the ohio valley and three potential ones in southwest pa. the national weather service reports there have been a staggering 746 preliminary tornadoes year-to-date, some that have recently decimated through the heartland. back in pennsylvania, cleanup is still under way tonight. >> i heard real strong winds at my house a half a mile away. >> reporter: many also thankful they survived. >> there's no way we should be here. i'm telling you god was with us. >> reporter: george solis, nbc news. now we are starting the week with the threat of even more flash flooding. let's get to nbc meteorologist michelle grossman. good morning, michelle. >> good morning, frances.

yeah, another busy day today. we are off to a wet start for many of us. we're going see the wet weather over the next several days. from the gulf to the great lakes, it does look like the bulls-eye for severe weather will be from texas across the gulf states. you can see some tornadoes and large hail. also the chance of damaging winds. 23 million people at risk. we have a slight risk where you see the yellow. that's 3 out of 5 on the scale here from houston to new orleans taushlgs way to panama city. that's going to be the likeliest chance of seeing stronger storms. large hail 2 to 4 inches in diameter. winds up to 60 miles per hour. and a few tornadoes are possible. on top of that, we're looking at the chance for very heavy rain. that's going to lead to the chance for flooding, even flash flooding. 13 million people under flood watches, where you see the green here. from eastern texas across the gulf coast, we're seeing heavy rain early this morning, even seeing some hail possibly where you see the purple, seeing the lightning, hearing the thunder. but the darker color showing us where the heaviest rain is falling. as a result we have saturated

grounds. we're expecting the chance for flash flooding, where you see the pink, the moderate risk. that's where we're seeing portions of louisiana, where we could see some flash flooding. that's because we're going to see 3 to 5 inches of rain in some spots. could see up to 6 in some other u ots where yo the chance for storms, even strong storms, heavy rain as well. dallas, expect some rain, 85. all right. that's your monday forecast. >> appreciate, that michelle. thank you. >> sure. a snow-packed winter in the sierras is paying off. leicht is expected to fill up for the first time in five years. according to a u.s. department of agriculture report. it's good news for california and northern nevada. when the lake is full, it is enough to meet demand for the next three years.

still to come here on "early today," the nuggets tie it up against the timberwolves. and a late night thriller. but first, we're back in 60 seconds with oprah's big apology. why she is saying sorry for sparking weight loss crazes over the years. ♪♪ are you tired of your hair breaking after waiting years for it to grow? meet new pantene pro-v miracles. with our highest concentration of pro-vitamins yet, infused with ingredients like biotin & collagen. strengthens hair bonds and repairs as well as the leading luxury brand without the $60 price tag. for stronger, healthier hair. ♪♪ if you know, you know it's pantene. ♪♪ feeling sluggish or weighed down? could be a sign that your digestive system isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help. metamucil's psyllium fiber gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down...

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three-hour-long weight watchers special, a sobering moment for the icon, who for decades was the face of the weight loss journey for millions, even as she herself was shamed in printed on tv. >> you're a pretty girl and you're single. you must lose the weight. >> i'm going to. >> reporter: now pointing to that infamous moment in 1988 when she wheeled out that wagon of fat as her biggest regret. >> it's amazing to me i can't lift it, but i carried it around every day. >> it sent a message that starving yourself with a liquid diet set a standard for people watching that i nor anybody else could oppose. >> reporter: she spent ten years as a weight watchers board member and director, but after intense speculation surrounding her suddenly slim figure on a red carpet, oprah winfrey became one of the biggest celebrities to come clean about using a weight loss drug, stepping down from the board months later, now discussing the weight loss country's future. >> what's the point of a weight

watcher's now. >> do you think a special like we saw on thursday could have happened 20, 30 years ago? >> oh, i don't think it ever would have taken flight. >> reporter: obesity medicine physician dr. laurie demattia has seen an industry shift as certain drugs known for treating diabetes are now part of weight loss journeys. have you seen demands for weight loss drugs increased? >> the volume has increased substantially. >> reporter: the drugs come with uncertain long-term impacts, high costs for high demand and criticism for use. oprah taking the mic to say, while they're not for everyone, no one should be shamed for their choice. >> the weight health is a complex subject for everybody. it's not one size fits all. >> marissa parra, nbc news. now to a tragic update from surgeons in massachusetts. the first patient to receive a genetically modified pig transplant has died. surgeons believed the transplant would last two years but rick

sleiman died two months after the procedure. there are no signs the 62-year-old died as a result of the transplant. still to come, there was no keeping pace in indiana on sunday as the battle worn knicks laid their biggest negotiation the play-offs. we'll cap rethe game as well as denver's gutsy series comeback, right after this. air every time. it only takes a minute. look at that! the heavy duty cloths are extra thick for amazing trap and lock. even for his hair. wow! and for dust i love my heavy duty duster. the fluffy fibers trap dust on contact up high and all around without having to lift a thing. i'm so hooked! you'll love swiffer or your money back! ♪♪ my doctor recommends all free clear for my laundry. it's free of dyes and perfumes. and doesn't leave behind irritating residue. for a clean that's gentle on skin, all you need is all free clear.

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from three-point range, imhart back up top. to halliburton, another wide open three-pointer. beautiful feed ahead to halliburton. alley-oop to tappen. >> it may have been mother's day, but the pacers were the knicks' daddies on sunday. new york suffered its worst loss of the season, failing to counter an offensive master class from indiana. the pacer, who led by as much as 43 points tie up the best of seven series, which returns to msg on tuesday. in the west, the nuggets also even things out with the timberwolves, despite minnesota getting a powerhouse 44-point

effort from anthony edwards. denver's offense regained the form. gordon murray recently crowned mvp. nikolai jokic combined for 81 points. the series returns to the mile tie hawaii city for a crucial game two on tuesday. everybody can take a breath, collect themselves this monday and back tomorrow. and speaking of basketball still, now to the teams desperate for a superstar that can bring them back to the promised land. on sunday, the atlanta hawks won the right to the first overall pick in the upcoming nba draft with the hawks. the hawks with their 36-46 record this season, had just a 3% chance of winning the nba draft lottery for the honor of the first pick. it will be their first number one selection since 1975. despite laying claim to the worst record in the league this season, the lowly pistons will be picking at number five. coming up here on "early today," mcdonald's fans will be

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new herbal essences. now to what's making headlines this morning. target says it will limit which stores sell its lgbtq-themed items after last year's backlash over its products designed for transgendered people. the pride merchandise will still be available online. a company spokesperson said in part that target is committed to supporting the lgbtq+ community during pride month and year round. workers at apple's first unionized store in townsend, maryland have voted in favor of authorizing a strike. the union says issues at the forefront of the labor action include work-life balance concerns and wages failing to align with the cost of living. last month new york passed a law requiring paid time off for pregnant women to receive prenatal care. advocate thinks this could move to national movement with other states likely to follow the empire state.

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to follow? here is marissa parra. >> oh, boy, lunch at mcdonald's. >> reporter: the golden arches, once the king of a meal deal. >> all for just $2.59. >> reporter: now mcdonald's is cooking up a limited $5 value meal, according to cnbc, who spoke to two people familiar. an effort to win back the customers they lost who felt outpriced. >> y'all supposed to be good for the price. >> reporter: $18 big macs and $6 hash browns seen in places like connecticut came at the cost of complaining consumers. >> labor rates are the biggest factor in this issue. when the cost of labor goes up, the price of restaurants increases accordingly. food is also a big factor as well. >> reporter: for the first time in years, mcdonald's saw profit loss last quarter. >> clearly everybody's fighting for fewer consumers or consumers that are certainly visiting less frequently. >> reporter: and people may be opting out of dining out because it's just become more expensive. roughly 4.2% more than this time last year, which means

restaurants need to get creative. >> we're seeing a lot more value in the restaurant space in reaction because if consumers are cutting back, restaurants are going to have to do something to get them back in. >> reporter: fast casual does seem to be faring better, like sweet green or chipotle, which has seen more customers, but both openly catering to a higher income bracket. not as easily lured by the $5 offers already seen by wendy's, burger king, and very likely mcdonald's soon too, which had no official comment on the plan. >> the $5 price point has been sort of the area of competition right now in the value space. mcdonald's kind of needs to respond at this point. >> reporter: then it's in the hands of the consumers whether the patty is worth the sizzle or just a flash in the pan. marissa parra, nbc news. how about this for other food options? a new native american option is

opening in wheaton, colorado. rare indigenous plants will be for sale. it's a way of introducing ingredients to people who may not otherwise have access to them. so shoppers can choose from ancient watermelon to navajo wild spinach and everything in between. and the new venture is also inspiring people to get in touch with their own roots. >> i think it's important to, like, reintroduce myself to the land that i live on and get to know its story, get to know its plants. >> the kitchen not only helping to extend the branch between generations, but to community members alike. thanks for starting your week with us. i'm frces riveraan

breaking overnight, a day-long manhunt for a suspected cop killer comes to end in ohio. details on the tense standoff with the suspect. the star witness ready to