And let me tell you, it is heating up quickly. We have the clouds over the hillsborough river. Its 86 and 74 humidity. Just a steamy day. And eventually thats goosegog to translate into rainfall. Thats going to translate into some rainfall. Its 86 in tampa. 87 in brooksville. I have to show you the heat index because its already in the upper 90s. And were starting to see thunderstorms. I mean look at this from kissimmee over to orlando, theres lightning strikes. Everything will be moving from east to west. And theres spotty showers up in polk county, pasco and hernando. In the headline, this northeast wind is going to push the rain toward the coast by the evening. Low to mid90s into the weekend. And then the tropic, gaston still out there, got the latest information. It is still a Tropical Storm and its still expected to stay anyone. Then we have where the Hurricane Hunters are flying in right now to 99l. This is the latest tropical wave trying to get that airplane in there now and picking up a 46 Miles Per Hour wind. And it is expected to generally head just north of the caribbean islands here, through the bahamas and then five to six days out, somewhere headed toward the east coast of florida or into the gulf of mexico. So much more details coming up. Thank you. A story we have been following all morning long, a devastate,ing earthquake rocks central italy earlier today devastating earthquake rocks central it 9ly early yes today central italy earlier today. The death toll has doubled in the last hour. There are now 73 confirmed deaths. Three towns were hit, all of them pretty remote. Tremors could be felt 85 miles away in rome. Newscast. And a few hours after the earthquake in italy, a magnitude 6. 8 earthquake struck. We are keeping an eye on both of those earthquakes and we will let you know if there are updates. Now to your vote, republican president ial nominee donald trump is in tampa today. He is speaking at 1 00 today from the state fairgrounds. And Candace Mccowan is live right now inside the candace, what can you tell us . Reporter well, good morning, stacie, gene. We are inside the Entertainment Center like you said where the crowds are started to pour in out of the heat. Some have been waiting since 9 00 this morning. They are starting to gather around the stage where they still have a couple hours to wait before donald trump actually speaks here. And now if you look up on the stage, one thing we can see is teleprompter that are there. He has caught a lot of flak for will he be reading off the teleprompter the entire time . A lot of talk about his softening his immigration policies. Theres been talk in the past, he said he wanted to deport 11 million Illegal Immigrants but his Campaign Manager saying he wants to soften his stance. Some supporters say that is the one thing they really love about him and he is interested to see how he changes or if he changes at all. And a lot of people see if he continues his appeal to black voters. Hes said a lot of things over the past several days. Saturday and again yesterday trying to appeal to black voters. Is he reaching them . I spoke to some people and they say they have never been to a trump rally before. One woman came from from clearwater here the to see mr. Trump. They came in at 9 00 this morning. A lot of people anxious to hear and see hah he says. Thats happening. It is an immigration protest. They say wall up against trump. We will see what they are up to throughout the day. Gene, stacie and we will have more on this in the later newscasts. Candace, thank you. We will check back. Earlier today, governor rick scott joined me and Gayle Guyardo on news channel 8 today. And we asked him about Donald Trumps recent comments about enforcing existing immigration laws but with, quote, more energy to, quote, get rid of all the thats what trump said. Heres what governor rick scott had to say. We need to have a secure border. And we need a federal government that says, this is how you immigrate to our country. This is the process. We want to make sure that people that come here are vetted and we know who is coming to our country and that we are safe. I am hopeful that the next president , and i think it will be donald trump, will come up with a policy we can all consider. And considering our state look at the latest News Survey Monkey poll. Nationally, Hillary Rodham clinton leads by eight points but look at just florida. The gap is even greater. The survey shows clinton ahead by nine points. And as trump stumps through tampa today, Hillary Rodham clinton is making her way through california. She raised millions at a star studded event at the home of singer justin timberlake. This as the email scandal continues to haunt her on the campaign trail. 15,000 additional emails could be released before the election. And we have some sad news to pass along this morning. He has passed away. He was the founder and the pastor of st. Lawrence catholic parish for 49 years. He also appeared several times right here on news channel 8. The Hillsborough CountySheriffs Office says he passed away this morning at his home at the age of 87. 1958 to 2007, the longest tenure of any priest in the st. Petersburg diocese. Details regarding his funeral will be held next week and will be announced shortly. And in polk county this morning, an issue that 8 on your side has been following. In may, a teenager was struck and killed while crossing clubhouse road to get to his bus stop. So far, the county has installed one street light but concerned parents are still reaching out to 8 on your side. Safer bus stops. Reporter the first thing im going to show you, the speed limit here is 45 Miles Per Hour. Neighbors tell us that cars fly down this street, some kids have to cross the road to get to the bus stop. And others have to walk down in a ditch because theres no sidewalk. And imagine thunder sleet doing this in the dark. Imagine doing this in the dark. 8 on your side was there this morning as kids waited for the bus in the dark. So far, the county has installed one street light, the problem is, theres more than one bus stop along clubhouse road. One parent we spoke with drives his kids to the bus stop every morning so they dont have to walk in the dark. Maybe like 50 steps. But i have to did that to make sure my kids are safe. And we have tried to call the office, the Polk County School board and they just wont do it. Reporter the county has been doing a this evening. News channel 8. And coming up, Technology Advances have done wonders for the car industry. Yes, especially when it comes to safety. Selfbraking cars are becoming commonplace. But we will tell you about a new report from aaa that explains they might not be as safe as you think. Plus, when rain water came flooding into a couples fronted yard, they knew they better call behnken. Coming up, we find out what the doing to fix this problem. Im Hillary Clinton and i approve this message. How do we make the economy work for everyone . Hillary clintons plan starts here. By making big corporations and those at the top finally pay their fair share in taxes. And those companies that move overseas . Shed charge them an exit tax. Then shed use that money to make the largest investment in creating good paying jobs since world war ii. You can read the plan here. Its one of the oceans fastest, fiercest predators. It knows no equal. Until now. Mako. The tallest, fastest, longest coaster in orlando. 69. Only at seaworld. Feel the predator power. Introducing carrabbas new family bundles. Choose one of six favorites plus a large salad to make a carryout dinner for the whole family starting at 34. 99. Welcome back. If you have friends or family out west, chances are youve heard them talk about in and out burger. Yeah, theyre delicious. In australia, they have a knock out, its called down and out. But they they do originality, check them out, poke burgers. They, they are pokimoninspired burgers. Theyre hugely popular right now. This year a little broccoli hat. Comes with cheese. And icy chip crumbles. And they have slider versions. So maybe if youre on a diet. Look how cute. Its a shame we dont get them concept. I like the one with the chips ears. It looks very pinterest to me. Good idea. It has gotten hot quickly today. Yesterday, in sarasota, it was 99 degrees. It shattered the old record of 96. So, yeah, its a hot day already at 11 13. Heres a look from the hula bay restaurant. And starting to see the clouds billow up. And look at frenchys, thats nice, ue thats about the coolest place you will find. And then into lakeland, so technically cooler there, its 83 because look at the clouds. There are light showers close by. Some strongers storm here in orlando. They have lightning strikes there. And this is moving from east to west. And once you zoom in closer, you see the tiny showers. Theres one near Wesley Chapel and Hillsborough County right towards gibsonton. And then this one along 17 toward avon park. At noon, yeah, a stray shower. Already 90. And then 93 as the storms continue to billow up around 4 00 p. M. And all the storms will generally make their way toward the coast by 7 00 p. M. And we start to cool down, down to 86. Right now, its 86 in fish hawk. Were on the way up. 90 in sarasota. Yeah, you might get close to the record high again today. 84 sarasota. 84 bartow. And again, muggy and of the east. Watch now by 2 00s, the storms start in inland areas and push their way toward the coast and eventually tapering off after most of us are home from dinner. And then tomorrow morning, similar. Northeast wind brings us morning sunshine and the fast warmup. And the seasonal 40 chance of afternoon storms that push toward the coast. So really through saturday, i expect us to see typical afternoon storms. And then we will turn our interest in the tropic, this tropical wave. Right now the Hurricane Hunters are in it. This is one model. This is the european model. It will take this system through the bahamas and then actually across southern florida. Now see that may increase our rain chances on sunday before this thing enters into the gulf of mexico into monday. Thats one thinking why im going to bump up the rain chance starting on sunday, monday and tuesday. Obviously the final path of whatever this investigation area is still yet to be determined but its going to be close enough, thats why i added the extra rain chances. No relief from any of the humidity though. And until this weekend, just your typical ole afternoon thunderstorms. At this point, we are used to them. And with the activity in the tropics and all that, no need to panic, just be prepared. Is september 10th. You should have those together and if you dont, now is a great time to do it. Thank you. Investigator san beyonce behnken is looking into complaints for people who live near the bellview built mother. Neighbors say water runoff is so severe, its dama t reporter this home video shows rain water gushing down bellview boulevard. Coming from the bellview b uilt biltmor reconstruction site. Walking out and slipping on mud is not the safest thing. Reporter this happened last month during a massive rainstorm. But tim has documented eight times when construction water runoff spilled on to his property. Held a puddle . Absolutely. We shouldnt be holding a pond. Reporter and its not just the flooding, its the erosion and nasty debris left behind. It is a torrential amount of water thats come down here. Its come down the street, on to our property and what it does is, it winds around and weve had nail, debris, dead rodents. Reporter the water rushes between homes and dumps into a creek. They installed their own barrier to help with at but it keeps washing away. All we want them to do is just fix it. Reporter they demolished the Historic Hotel make way for condo, homes and a boutique hotel. My visit to the community attracted the attention of the projects superintendent. Do you feel like your project is damaging their homes . Personally, i dont think so. Reporter the company did take action after julys major storm. What have you done to fix well, we fortified our fence around the perimeter of the property. Reporter and they put in a drain but nothing yet to fix the erosion left behind. There hasnt been a major storm since the fixes so its unclear if this will work but the manager tells me after this project is complete, this shouldnt be an issue anymore. San beyonce behnken, 8 on your side. Shannon behnken, 8 on your side. And if you have a problem you need solving, better call a recall involving baby toys that could pose a choking hazard. There are three alex junior brand sets of infant building toys are are under recall. They are the baby builder, first pops and first snaps. The problem involves small pieces that can detached. A by could swallow them. The toys were sold at barnes noble, land of nod and zoolilly. Com. How activity tracking wristbands from mcdonalds happy meals were irritating childrens skin. And now they are officially under recall. Mcdonalds has received more than 70 reports of problems, including seven cautions of children developing blisters after wearing the devices. If you take the tracker back, you will get a replace. Toy and your choice of a yogurt tube or apple slices. Advances in car breaks seem to be providing drivers with a false sense of security. Listen to this, new test results show that not all automat emergency brakes are created equal. Some are designed to prevent crashes and others are are designed to lessen the impact. Different speeds produce different results but because the technology is becoming more and more common, aaa is now recommending that we get familiar with what our brakes are designed to do and not do. Well theres a certain taste trend thats trending on us, theyre easy to make. In todays gayles guide to pinterest, find out how to make kick pops with a backtoschool twist. Reporter you can always bring your teacher an apple. Thats old school. How about these . Backtoschool cake pops . They come in all shapes and sizes and are hugely popular and this is a pin you can share with the whole class. Youre asked to bring in snack, birthday, maybe something for teacher . Definitely. From beginning to end, i will show you. Great for back to school. Reporter brittney shows us how all the ingredients can be found at your Favorite Grocery and craft Stores Starting with something as simp is cake mix. Make it from scratch. You can buy a box. Reporter after the cake is cooked, crumble and roll. Or use a cake pop maker. And these help get the round shape too. Reporter she pops them into minutes while heating up candy melt. A little melt will help do the trick. It acts like a glue. Reporter when it dries, dip the whole cake pop into the candy melt. And next, get ready to decorate. But you might want to try the freezer trick just one more time. When youre ready, upside down chocolate chips can be the apple sticks and for leaves, green candy melt into a zip lock bag and squeeze out the leaves. And there you have it, she made a mini anchor cake pop but thats for a whole other pinterest. Until next week, happy pinning, Gayle Guyardo, news channel 8. Thats cool. It. Is i liked them. Looked yummy. And not too guilt ridden because theyre small. And then you have two or guide to pinterest board. The rio games are over but we are looking ahead to tokyo 2020. And we have crossed off an important event. Plus, some sports fans may not recognize the american superstar swimmer this an upcoming event. She will be dry, thats right, out of the pool when she throws out the first pitch at a ball we are back. And happening today, the count down to the 2020 summer Olympic Games is on. Can you believe that . In fact, we passed the first milestone. The olympic flag was just delivered to the future host city this morning. Tokyos governor waived the olympic symbol as she walked through the airport. A ceremony was held to celebrate the flags arrival. The tradition started back in and heres a girl we will most likely see in tokyo in four years. She shot to global stardom winning five medals in rio but today she takes to the diamond. The washington, d. C. Nail suv going to throw out the first pitch between the nationals and the orioles. She is no stranger to the mound. This will be the third time that she has tossed out the first pitch for the nationals. And she is settle back into hometown. She visited Childrens National health system. And of course, she brought the gold medals with her. Taking selfies and other pictures with patients. She shared what its like to compete in the olympics and encouraged kids to go for the gold. Very inspirational and nice. And coming up, wildfires out west, they keep triggering evacuation orders but some are refusing to leave, keeping them in the middle of the fires an earthquake has done some serious damage there. Take a look. Coming up, brand new images from social media from those inside these damaged areas. Bright House Networks keeps you connected with standard tv and lightning 50 internet enjoy your favorite broadcast networks, along withespn, amc, and more plus,free tv everywhere apps let you watch tv in more places lightning 50 is perfect for streaming movies with access to over 450,000 free wifi hotspots nationwide. Lightning 50 internet for only 94 per month for 12 months now at havertys furniture, its our labor day sale. Where you can create the perfect home. From now until september 5th, youll find huge savings on stylish pieces. Get free delivery, plus an extra hundreddollars off every thousanddollars you spend. With havertys, your home can be perfect, iguana . The labor day sale is on now, at havertys. Life looks good. Come into Steak N Shake for handdipped fall milk shakes. Better yet, at half price. During halfprice happier hour, weekdays, now two to five. At Steak N Shake. News channel 8 continues to follow this awful earthquake in italy. At least 73 people are dead. Were taking a look at the role social media is playing in disaster. And the chimney fire in california continues to burn through buildings and homes but despite the damage, some are choosing to stay behind, ignoring orders to leave the area. Ahead, the reasons for their staying behind. And crack down on cyber bullies. Up next, what one Bay Area School district is doing to make sure your child is safe online. Good morning. Im gene ramirez. And im stacie schaible. And we have breaking news at the start of this half hour. A u. S. Commander in afghanistan american university. This news just coming in. So we dont know much at this point. American university aapparently under attack. We are watching the news wires. And we if we get new information, we will bring that to you in the coming hour. It is heating up. The loews don cesar on st. Pete beach already 91 and its not the storms reaching the beach. You still have time before it starts to cool down. Currently 87 in brooksville. And 90 in sarasota. And 90 in wimauma. 84 in auburndale. The storms are starting as we expected over on the east coast and starting to move in. So orlando, kissimmee, some lightning strikes. Far eastern portions of i4. And then into lakeland, and the i4 communities in polk county, thonotosassa area. Otherwise, the heat continues. 93 today and tomorrow. 92 friday, saturday. And 91 on sunday. Of course, tropics also heating up. Weve got a lot of the interest going on. We have Tropical Storm gaston. And we also have this area near puerto rico with an 80 chance of developing. Now gaston were not too concerned about. Yes, its going to become a hurricane but it stays out to sea. More on the possible impact we could see from the ar puerto rico coming up. Thank you. Gnu brand new information coming from a devastating earthquake that rocked italy earlier today. The earthquake has displaced more than a thousand people and the government saying no one is allowed to stay in the town. As you can see here, this damage is just devastating. Completely collapsed homes and buildings and a rising death all of them pretty remote. About 100, 150 miles away from rome. The 6. 2 magnitude earthquake was so strong that tremors could be felt for 58 miles away from rome or more. Very devastating. And in europe, a hashtag is being used as people share the images on social media. Following that for us. Lets take a look. Reporter in europe, the hashtags are being used. One means earthquake. We are seeing photos of survivors. At the moment, theyre unearthed from the rubble. And those devastate bid the loss of their homes. And we are seeing some really unbelievable videos like this trying to calm someone trapped under the ruins. In many case, the pillars are in ruins, like this church. And were seeing a lot of photos like this one online before and after of small houses that have been devastated by the earthquake. Meredyth censullo, news channel 8. And now we want to bring you the littest developments on the zika virus in your backyard. Within the last half hour or scott held yet another round table discussion on the zika virus in the bay area. And this time it was with leaders from Hillsborough County. And news channel 8s jamel lanee was there and we have this report. Reporter during a round table discussion here at the Florida Department of health in Hillsborough County, governor rick scott announced yet another nontravel related case. This case confirmed in palm state and local leaders discussed how to stay ahead of the virus after a local case was confirmed in Pinellas County yesterday. Governor scott said Mosquito Control is attacking areas where zika virus cases have been confirmed. State leaders said theyre working to determine how and where the individual caught the virus. But theyll not release further detalls about the person contracted zika virus. The representative disagrees and feels the information should be released. Governor scott says the authorities will not release the information not clear where the individual may have caught the virus. The location of a case is important if we believe transmission is occurring there. If theres ongoing transmission. And the case of many individual or single cases in miamidade, we didnt find there were addition nat cases associated with them. Often times the transmission may occur away from the residence of that individual. So having that information presented without us line, where we believe exposure occurred is not helpful from a Public Health perspective. Reporter Hillsborough County leaders reiterated that standing water needs to be dumped. Theyre urging residents to check around your homes and check around buildings and check around your schools, your workplace. If you see standing water, you need to dump it or if you see a problem, you are asked to contact the Mosquito Control hotline. Reporting in tampa, jamel lanee, news channel 8. And of course, we are getting developments continue to follow the zika virus here in florida. But news channel 8 on top of it. And you can keep up to date with everything zika virus related on news channel 8s website, wfla. Com. And new information now about a double shooting in st. Petersburg. Police tell us the two men shot are still alive. Theyre 25 and 29 years old. The shooting happened at Bay Vista Park on pinellas point drive south. One man drove himself to the hospital. The other was found with a gunshot wound at the park. From new york to have sex with a 13yearold bay area girl is now this morning in the land olakes detention center. The 21yearold christian roke is being held on 25,000 bond. And investigators tell us the victims parents came home from vacation to find him hiding in their daughters closet. He admitted to detectives that he took a train to meet the girl for sex. Investigators also found nude photos of her on his phone. And across america leave, some people in the path of californias chimney fire are staying put as their homes burn to the ground. Take a look. Fire Officials Say the fire is dangerous and mandatory evacuation orders should be taken seriously. But at least one family has bulldozed their own fire break and prepared fire hoses to protect homes from the chimney fire. They dont plan on leaving until the threat is right at their doorstep. Its important to stay here where we have lived. These families explain that even without electricity, theyll stay in their homes because accord to them, its all they have. Meanwhile, the ray fire continues to burn in central california. The flames charred more than 33,000 acres so far. 30 homes are destroyed and thousands of people have been forced to leaf the area. Despite the 2000 firefighters battling the raging wildfire, its only 35 contained. Firefighters explain perfect conditions for the fire to continue spreading. An unusual passenger boarded a plane tuesday in chicago. A trex was loaded on to a flight to the netherlands. Im guessing that turned a few heads. He deserves a vacation too. And it was complete with cake and a passport. It will be the first fossil displayed outside of north america. The bones were originally unearthed in montana. And this is recognized as one in the world today. Biologists say theres more of it in that montana hillside so another team will definitely go back. Well, all new, florida fish and wildlife releasing video overnight of a manatee rescue here in new port richey. There it is. In april 2015, fwc workers got a call of a moon tee handcuffed by some fishing line. They were able to set it free but it got away before they could get the line completely year, they were able to rescue the female, untangle her and send her to lou lowry bark zoo for rehabilitation and now shes back in the gulf after a full recovery. And another kind of rescue across the pond. A seal escaped a pod of feeding boat. In a panic, the seal fell off the boat three times. Can you imagine . Finally he managed to stay on the boat for about 30 to 45 minutes, waiting for the whales to give up. They do. So lucky seal. And great boaters that they just stood by. Theyre patient. But you wouldnt want to see that circle of life exactly. No. But those whales knew that he was on the boat. You have to think, what if they would have gone afterward . Well, we will leav it is. As we begin this new school year, some of the older kids may already be readying themselves to take the s. A. T. Or ac. T. Cyber bullying is a real threat our schools and now schools need to adjust. How Bay Area Schools are working to keep our kids safe we are back. So i was gone on vacation up to cape cod and it was cooler. Cool, low humidity, nice breeze. Off the airplane, whoosh. The wall of humidity. And i wasnt confused either. It was one of the hottest days at Tampa International airport ever. Ever. Yeah. We tied a re it wasnt because i had been away. In fact, sarasota, im glad i didnt fly into bradenton. It was 99 there yesterday. Just shattered the old record of 96. At Tampa International airport, it was 95 and that tied the old record set back in 1995. So it really was one of the hottest days at Tampa International airport. The lake club in Lakewood Ranch, 84 degrees. Northeast winds at about 5 down there in Lakewood Ranch area. And notice ive been watching showers and thunderstorms near orlando, the east coast, and they havent made much progress to the west but theres been rain around orlando. And let me zoom in and show you what im talking about. One small shower along i4 in Hillsborough County. Right around 98 and i4 in polk county. And spotty showers and these are all generally moving from east to west. So if theres one thats farther to the east, its coming and we get the stray showers. Still warming up though. 93 by 4 00 p. M. And close to todays record by the way which is the record is 95. And 86, with the storms pushing off the coast. So its 84 right now in bartow. And notice in lakeland where theres the rain close by. And relief. Thats the only way you get relief, 82 there. And 86 in clearwater and tampa. Heat index values, upper 90s to low 100s. Stay hydrated. Again, you will get some relief there. And generally this east to west motion of the storms keeps the heaviest rain in polk county and Highlands County in the next few hours. And then as the day progress, the storms move farther and farther west and making to it 75 and the coast by about 6 00, 7 00 this evening. What we saw yesterday as well. In the tropic, here is the moisture in the atmosphere. The red color is dry. The green color is deep moisture. Invest 99l and gaston. Strengthen. It stays out to sea. We will focus on the deep moisture that the Hurricane Hunters are in right now investigating it. We will get their information coming in. Seeing about a 54 Miles Per Hour gusts and notice this red color here. Its going to keep it from strengthening in the short term. And once the system, however it is named or not named, once it gets through the dry air and into the bahamas, thats when we could see some strengthening and then the ultimate path it most areas and models think its going to head sort of through florida and into the gulf of mexico. For us, that would mean an enhanced rain chance. About a 50 chance for sunday, common tuesday. Thats going to change as we get more information. So stay tuned at 4 00, 5 00, 6 00, 8 00, and 11 00. Because we will have more information. And the record heat, i was talking my dog out for a walk. And she kept on going for the shade and hiding. And i thought, well, i just took she cant be tired. The paws were burning up. If you cant keep the back of your hand on the cement for more than five seconds, you shouldnt let them walk on it. Or get them cool shoes. She would need them. Thank you. 8 on 8 is on your side schooled all month. And today were getting schooled in Cyber Bullying. This is a growing reality in schools. In fact, the Cyber BullyingResearch Center found 27s or of middle and High School Students been bullied. And Meredyth Censullo gives us a look at how schools are trying to crack down on online bullies. Reporter Cyber Bullying is the use of any Technology Social media or text messages, intended to cause harm. A lot more Cyber Bullying as Technology Gets better. Our students are engaging in it with the social networking sites. And they bring it right to school grounds, sometimes they engage in reporter there are endless ways Cyber Bullying can be transmitted. Snapchat, theres facebook, kik, theres all these i have to stay up to date with the different apps and social networking sites that the kids are engaging in. Reporter Pinellas County schools now use a program called anonymous alerts. Complaints may be made by students or parents and the school where the bullying is immediately. Last year, 1300 reports of Cyber Bullying came in. And a third were bullying or harassment. And thats more than 400 cases in one year alone. The student received a discipline referral, minimum. And then the school takes action onbased on that. Reporter in every case, a parent is notified. But she says parents should be proactive before bullying occurs. You have to know where they are online. Its okay and looking into what theyre saying and doing, who their friends are online. That was Meredyth Censullo reporting. Another resource for you, cyberbullying. Org. You will find information for parents about the social media apps that our kids use and the dangers kids can encounter on those apps. Nearly twothirds of this Years High School graduates the Testing Company explaining that only 38 of graduating seniors who took the exam hit the college prepared mark in at least three of the four core subjects tested, thats reading, english, math and science. And thats down from 40 last year. For florida, 18 of High School Students took the test and scored an average of 19. 9 out of 36. And parents, heres something your kids can get onboard with, no homework. In 15 years of teaching, her goal has always been to help kids learn. And this year for the first time ever, she has a new approach. She is not assigning any homework. She wants families to spend more time together. She wants kids to play outside and get to bed early. Its only day two of school but already, they like the policy. I think most parents are relieved when their children come home and say, well, we enjoy your family time. As opposed to arguing. Thats music to my ears. No homework. She says kids might still take some work home if they dont finish assign. S in class. Nice break for the parents. I was there at 8 30 helping, helping, not doing. Well, thats another the parents end up having to help out and sit there. Right. I do have to clarify because i do not do im a coach. Family is Something Special in life of course but sometimes we find it in the most unlikely of places. Kind of like these two, a cat and a baby monkey. Theyre inseparable. We will tell you how they welcome back. Everyone has an odd ball in their family. Could be the black sheep. Maybe its the weird uncle. But you still love him, right . Thats more odd than this pairing. A 16yearold cat has adopted a baby monkey. Awe. Internet gold. Yeah. This is good stuff. Now the back story, the monkey was abandoned at a zoo in russia fearing that the monkey would die, the director carried out an experiment and said, hey, cat, why dont you adopt the monkey and see happens. The cat never had any babies of her own. Happily ever and they lookalike too. Another oddity at a zoo. This one in scotland. The kings guard paid a special visit to the zoo this week to bestow a unique honor on the king penguin. He already has knighthood and now he has been promoted and the king penguin is now calmed brigadier sir. Regal. Very, formal. I like it. Whats going on weather wise . Well, close to another record today. The record is 95. The forecast is 93. And the only way you will get relief from the heat is if a storm is over you or nearby. Its about a 40 chance near the coast. 30 farther inland. Same thing thursday, friday and saturday. Our next week, the rain chances depend on what happens with the tropical system. So not no. Prepare for tropical stuff. Thats the best advice. Thank you for joining us. We will stay on top of the stories throughout the day. I will see you back here on first at 4 00 and tonight on from nbc news, this is today with Kathie Lee Gifford and hoda kotb. Live from studio 1a rockefeller plaza. . Working 9 to 5 . Yeah, there she is. Shes with us today. Any days a good day when its dolly day. Its winesdaywednesday. Shell be sitting next to us in the kitchen. It has been the best day since you got here, dolly. The whole place, the vibe change when you walk in the room. Thats sweet. Ill try to fix that. By the way, nothings change period dolly