Today. Fight night. Gop candidates clash in a fiery debate. The frontrunner once again not in the room, but his record and legal troubles top of mind. Donald trump should be here to answer for that, but hes not. Donald trump is missing in action. So did any of the hopefuls move the needle with voters . Well break it all down. Breaking overnight, back home. The american soldier expelled from north korea arriving at a military base in texas. New details on the negotiations. Behind his release and will he now face disciplinary action . Unavoidable. Time almost up to avoid a Government Shutdown and no sign of a deal. Millions of American Families bracing to go without paychecks in just two days. Just ahead, the impacts already being felt. In custody. The convicted felon wanted in the murder of a young tech ceo in baltimore arrested after a ve twoday manhunt. How police finally tracked him down and where the case goes from here. All that plus, troubling trend. Inside the nations retail theft crisis. A spike costing stores and shoppers billions. The drastic actions now being taken from coasttocoast. And Birthday Party surprise. The stunning moment a black bear crashes a family picnic, helping itself to a feast of tacos. The uninvited guest one family will never forget. Today, thursday, september 28th, 2023. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb. From studio 1a is rockefeller plaza. Good morning. Good to see you. 7 00 a. M. On the west coast. Were glad to see you on this thursday morning. Does that mom in the video have nerves or steel or what . I cant believe it. It went on for several moments. The bear was there. Its her sons Birthday Party. She does just the right thing. Not only does she standstill, gets her son to standstill and happily they both escaped without injury, but what a scare. Boy, how calming that woman is. A lot more on that. We have a lot more to get to including that republican president ial debate out of california. Seven candidates facing off once again without donald trump. The former president instead speaking at a auto plant in michigan and labor strike were one of the major topics at the debate along with this looming Government Shutdown. Many government workers could go without pay as soon as this weekend. We have it all covered. Well start with nbcs Garrett Haake from the site of that debate at the reagan library. Good morning, garrett. Reporter hey, hoda. Good morning. Really two main targets of the debate stage last night. The current president , joe biden, and the former President Donald Trump also not on the stage but with a commanding 40 plus point lead in the latest nbc news poll, casting a very large shadow over the debate. Overnight, seven republican president ial candidates facing off in a contentious and at times chaotic debate. The frontrunner, former President Trump, skipping the showdown to campaign in michigan. His rivals, Chris Christie and ron desantis, repeatedly noting his absence. Donald trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record, where they added 7. 8 trillion to the debt. Donald, i know youre watching. You cant help yourself. Youre not here tonight because youre afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. You keep doing that, no one up here is going to call you donald trump anymore. Were going to call you donald duck. Reporter on abortion, desantis demanded that trump exz plain his recent comments on meet the press, when the former president criticized the Florida Governor for signing a sixweek abortion ban. I think what he did was a terrible thing and a terrible mistake. To try to say that prolife protections are somehow a terrible thing, i want him to look into the eyes and tell people who have been fighting this fight for a long time. Reporter former Vice President mike pence taking aim at President Biden for joining striking auto workers in michigan. Joe biden doesnt belong on a picket line, he belongs on the unemployment line. Reporter and Vivek Ramaswamy tangled with reils in his first debate. Acknowledging critics. You see a young man whos in a bit of a hurry, maybe a little ambitious, bit of a knowitall, it seems, as times. Reporter still, his rivals pounced. Tim scott, seizing on his business deals. W. I cant imagine how you can say that knowing that you were just in business with the Chinese Communist party and the same people that funded hunter biden. Reporter and nikki haley targeting his use of tiktok. This is infuriating, because tiktok is one of the most dangerous social media apps that we could have, and what youve got honestly, every time i hear you, i feel a little bit dumber for what you say. Reporter we asked ramaswamy about that exchange after the debate. The core argument that nikki haley seemed to have against you the core argument she has a grudge against me. I dont have a grudge against her. Its a oneway grudge. Its that voters cant trust you. What do you say to that . She said i made her dumber well, there was that, too. Its the first time ive ever heard that. So what kind of reaction did we see from the former president . Was he watching . Reporter his Campaign Says he wasnt watching, and the Trump Campaign has argued its time to move past all of these primary debates and rally around him, the frontrunner, to focus on joe biden. But they also focused some of their energy on attacking nikki haley, not just their usual foil, ron desantis, suggesting that the Trump Campaign thinks that there might be someone else in second place soon. Savannah . I guess in politics, that passes for a compliment. Garrett, thank you very much. Appreciate it. We have another breaking story overnight. The american soldier expelled from north korea after being detained there for months arrived back in the united states. Nbcs Morgan Chesky is at the base in texas. He touched down there earlier this morning. Good morning, morgan. Whats the latest . Reporter yeah, hoda. Good morning. In a journey of more than 6,000 miles ended this morning for private second class travis king who arrived here not too long ago at joint base san antonio, and our crew was there to capture these moments showing military personnel escorting the 23yearold wisconsin native off the plane. U. S. Officials describe king in being in good health and good spirits. He did have a chance to speak with family over the phone prior to making the journey here. As for all of this how it started, of course that goes back to july. U. S. Officials say that following allegations of assault in South Carolina, king booked a tour to the dmz, the Demilitarized Zone separating north and south korea. On that tour, he bolted into north korea. Officials there say king admitted to doing so because he was, quote, disillusioned with american society. U. S. Officials meanwhile, say that there was no tradeoff for king. And that the handoff came courtesy of swedish officials who escorted him to the chinese border, where he was met by both u. S. And chinese officials. A rare moment of cooperation. China saying that they only stepped in at the request of north korea and the u. S. To offer what they called humanitarian aid. Now, as for what happens next here in san antonio, we are told that king will be treated at Brooks Army Medical center for post isolation treatment and then potentially reunited with family in the near future. But i should say that king was declared absent without leave from the military. And that could result in potential punishment, charges, a dishonorable discharge, but military officials have made it very clear that as of this point in time, their main focus is making sure this 23yearold wisconsin native is in good health and is reunited with family. Hoda . All right, Morgan Chesky for us there. Morgan, thank you. Back to politics. Time is running out quickly to avoid a Government Shutdown. The deadline is now just two days away. Nbcs ryan nobles joins us from washington. So we ask you again, ryan, how close are they to getting a deal . Reporter not close at all, savannah. Good morning. Youre right. Only two days to go. Republicans and democrats really not any closer to striking a deal to avert a Government Shutdown. In fact, at this point, the two sides arent even really talking. Then theres even real Division Within the house of representatives. Speaker Kevin Mccarthy shooting down a bipartisan shortterm spending bill that was proposed in the senate. In favor of moving a group of Appropriations Bills that really have no hope of passing the upper chamber. If they cannot strike a deal by midnight saturday, millions of government workers will not get paid that includes active duty members of the military who in the past were given carveouts to keep them paid during a shutdown, but that is not happening this time around. Members are expected to work through the weekend until an agreement is reached, but the speaker is in a tight spot here because agreeing to the demands of the gop holdouts would have little of a plan that would have little chance of passing. So then if he turns to get help from the democrats, he could face ouster as speaker. So were in a very difficult situation here on capitol hill, savannah. Meanwhile, House Republicans are still planning on doing their first hearing in their impeachment inquiry of President Biden. What do you expect there . Reporter yeah, thats right. Its going to happen this morning. And in todays hearing, republicans have invited three expert witnesses, whose job it will be to peace together the information that the three committees investigating the president s family have collected, with the goal of attempting to try to establish a link between Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings and the president himself. But at this point, theyve really yet to uncover that smoking gun, that specifically makes that connection. Republicans are hoping that a new trove of documents released yesterday by the ways and Means Committee will help to establish that link. Its important to point out that the president has said repeatedly that he played no role in his sons businesses. Savannah . Ryan nobles on capitol hill. Thanks, ryan. Also this morning, an intense manhunt is over for the suspect in the brutal murder of a tech entrepreneur in baltimore. Police confirming an arrest overnight. Nbcs emilie ikeda joins us now with details on this. Hey, emily, good morning. Reporter hey there, hoda. Baltimore residents are breathing a sigh of relief this morning, with this man who officials describe as armed and dangerous now off the streets. Jason billingsley has been wanted for firstdegree murder in the killing of tech ceo, pava la pere. But police now also tying him to other serious crimes that happened in another part of baltimore just last week. Reporter this morning, after a threeday manhunt, authorities confirming the arrest of jason billingsly, suspected in the killing of tech ceo pava lepere. The u. S. Marshals telling an nbc affiliate that billingsley was arrested in connection with to murder at a train station in buoy, maryland. Our special homicide unit has been working aggressively to identify the suspect responsible for this tragic incident. Lapere was found dead in the apartment builts where she lived and worked, sparking a massive man hunt for her killer. The mother of the suspect telling nbc news in a telephone interview she texted with her son. I told him to turn himself in because theyre going to kill him. Also saying that her son showed her a gun monday but she believes hes trying to sell it. Authorities not revealing any connection between the 26yearold rising star entrepreneur and the suspect, but billingsley has a lengthy rap sheet, including sex offenses and assault. He was released from jail last october, according to authorities, who are now confirming that billingsley also is wanted in connection with an attempted murder, arson, and rape that occurred in another part of baltimore last week. Pava ceo reporter while a student at Johns Hopkins university, she founded echo map technologies. Her family, friends, and colleagues gathering for a vigil in her honor wednesday, saying she was compassionate about her community and her work. She inspired so many people through her brilliance, through her passion, through her zest for life, through her authenticity. Reporter and Baltimore Police have yet to reveal a motive for the killing as theyre combing through last cases since last october when billings ley was released from jail. We are expecting to learn more about how authorities brought him into custody overnight at a News Conference later this morning. Hoda . Emilie ikeda for us there in d. C. Thank you. As mentioned, as the Republican Debate was playing out, frontrunner donald trump was thousands of miles away in michigan addressing unions at a nonunion auto parts manufacturer. Nbcs maggie vespa is in wayne, michigan for us. Maggie, what did the former president have to say . Reporter hey, savannah, good morning. Former President Trump spoke for more than an hour last night to a crowd of roughly 300 people by our estimates. Including some uaw workers, a handful of those telling our team they are actually on strike. Mr. Trump during his speech repeatedly blasting President Biden who was on the picket lines, of course, on tuesday. Some people in that crowd telling our teams that they are uaw members. Only a handful telling our teams they are actually on strike. During his speech, the former president repeatedly blasting President Biden who was on the picket lines, of course, on tuesday. And also blasting the president s shift or push to shift the industry to electric vehicles, which the former president says kill industry jobs. In fact, quote, telling autoworkers directly on the picket line, quote, i dont think youre picketing for the right thing. And after he said that, he called for the unions enforcement. Take a listen. Joe biden claims to be the most proUnion President in history. Nonsense do me a favor. Just get your union guys, your leaders to endorse me. Theyre not picketing for the right things. Its also worth noting the uaw at this point has no official response to the former president s speech but of course uaw Union President shawn fain last week blasted the former president s plans to come here and speak to autoworkers at all. All of this, against the backdrop of another potential round of walkouts. Yesterday a source with the uaw telling nbc news that once again this week, just like last week, Union President shawn fain will take to Facebook Live tomorrow morning at 10 00 a. M. Eastern to announce another round of what they call strike targets, saying that come noon tomorrow, more workers could very well walk off the job at more facilities owned by the big three. This, of course, barring what the union calls serious progress in those contract talks with gm, ford and chrysler owner stellantis in a possible sign that contract talks with ford have once again stalled. I asked if they could be included in this new round of walkouts. That source saying everything is on the table. Savannah, back to you. Maggie vespa, thank you, maggie. Update on the on going hollywood actors strike. Lead negotiators and the industry top studios from head back to the bargaining table on monday for a new round of talks. This comes just days after hollywood writers reached an agreement on a new threeyear contract with the studios that ending a nearly fivemonth strike. Actors are seeking a bigger cut of streaming revenue and increase in base pay and safeguards against the use of ai technologies. Quarter after. Let us get the first check of the weather from mr. Sunshine himself, al roker. You had nice sunshine in the northeast, yesterday, but going away again unfortunately. We are going to be stuck in an omega block. The jet stream shaped like the greek letter omega. Storm systems get trapped on either side of the block. Here is what we got in the northeast, in the mid atlantic, days of stalled front bringing more clouds and rain to the east. Out west, actually the good news in pacific northwest, cool and damp, but they need that rain because it has been parch. But you remember that show malcolm the middle, it will be marvelous the middle. Unseasonably warm, autumn days through minnesota down into texas. Here we go. Well start to watch this low pressure system develop. Some heavier showers and thunderstorms also through the ohio river valley. Today that low pressure forms off the southeast coast, breezy, how isry conditions there. Then for friday, very high rain fall rates here in the northeast. Were talking about rip currents, a risk for coastal flooding. Saturday, that low will start to pull off and so the weather will improve for the northeast and new england through the afternoon. But not before dumping another anywhere from 2 to 5 inches or more from philadelphia, atlantic city, all the way out to montauk and parts of new england. Well get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. Unlike other pet food companies. Which have many different brands with different standards. Good thursday morning. I am kari hall. Today, nice and sunny in our inland areas, and we are headed back for the mid80s. Tomorrow will be cooler as we watch out for afternoon through evening show