area. we'll talk about lingering showers chances for sunday coming up tonight at 6:00. >> thank you so much. see you back here at 6:00. breaking news tonight. the investigation into the saudi national who opened fire on the u.s. navy base the new information about the dinner party where he showed mass shooting videos plus, the hero who gave his life to save others. the new report just out from house democrats laying out their case for impeachment prisoner swap. the american grad student held captive in iran for three years now heading home an exclusive interview with the mother of the u.p.s. driver killed in the crossfire after his truck was hijacked by armed robbers. who she blames for his death outbreak this flu season hitting harder earlier than it has in more than 15 yearsstin

americans' mouths. >> definitely one of the worst inventions ever. >> we take you to the biggest paper straw factory in america will the product get better? this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz-balart. >> good evening, we come on the air tonight with breaking news late developments in the deadly naval air station shooting in pensacola, florida three people were gunned down in yesterday's attack by a saudi trainee. secretary of defense mark esper today saying it's too early to call it a terrorist attack, but tonight, new details about what the gunman did before the shooting the unusual way he got the weapon, and news about a recent trip to saudi arabia we get the very latest from blayne alexander in pensacola. >> reporter: tonight, as we get our first look at the building, chilling new details about the man investigators believe carried it out [ sirens ]

law enforcement officials tell nbc news in the past week, the shooter, mohammed saeed alshamrani, a saudi national, invited three other saudis to his home for dinner where he showed them videos of mass shootings. officials say he regularly socialized with the three. but after a recent trip to saudi arabia, he returned more pius and was no longer interested in hanging out with them. [ sirens ] officials do not believe they were involved and say alshamrani acted alone. the same officials confirm the handgun used in friday's attack was legally purchased from a gun dealer in pensacola. typically illegal for a noncitizen, but alshamrani exploited a loophole that allowed him to buy it because he has a hunting license. officials are not confirming this as an act of terrorism but believe a social media post declaring america's love for israel and hatred for islam was written by alshamrani. sources tell nbc after the attack, a number of his fellow saudi classmates were

questioned, but officials say there's no concern they were involved ♪ as the pensacola community embraces its members in uniform, we're learning more about those in the gunman's path among them, ryan blackwell, an assistant wrestling coach, and charles hoague, a police officer on base. both recovering tonight. and 23-year-old joshua kaleb watson, who never made it home in a touching facebook post, his brother describes watson's final moments after being shot multiple times he made it outside and told the first response team where the shooter was. those details were invaluable. he died a hero >> so many families lived on that military base what do we know about them are they allowed to go back home >> reporter: well, jose, they are allowed to go back home tonight. right now and through the weekend, the base is under restricted access meaning that it's only open to essential personnel and residents, but closed to everyone else for now. jose >> blayne alexander in pensacola, thank you friday's shooting in

pensacola is also raising questions about the screening of foreign military students as they train and work alongside u.s. troops. nbc's kathy park takes a closer look at the decades' old practice that is now under review >> reporter: tonight defense secretary mark esper declaring a safety review after friday's deadly shooting at naval air station pensacola. >> yesterday i directed that we look at our security precautions across the services and all of our installations and bases and facilities to make sure that we've got the appropriate degree of security to protect our service members and their families and our communities >> reporter: the announcement at a national defense forum in california this afternoon comes after growing scrutiny over the screening process of foreign military students. >> anybody that comes to the united states to train is or should be is vetted by the department of state, it the department of homeland security, and ultimately us. so we need to relook at all that >> reporter: according to the pentagon, nearly 5,200 foreign students from more than 150 countries are in the u.s. for military training.inin

tool, the mechanical level, teaching people how to fly aircraft, teaching people how to lead patrols but it goes all the way to our most senior educational institutes >> reporter: some military leaders stressing the importance of the program >> my biggest concern would be that we would walk away from those key relationships from folks that we know we need when we go into combat. >> it's an enormously important u.s. military program. outreach to allies so the program, this is one of the vital ways in which we stay engaged with saudi arabia. >> what are officials saying tonight about the u.s. relationship with saudi arabia >> yeah. so the defense secretary said that we have a longstanding relationship with saudi arabia we are there in the region to support them he also added that we share mutual security interests especially when it comes to

iran >> kathy park, thank you so much to pweitics now. the house judiciary committee on saturday released a report explaining the constitutional grounds for the impeachment of president trump. hans nichols is at the white house and has this report. >> reporter: president trump today not commenting on a new report by the house judiciary committee that calls impeachment the constitution's final answer to a president who mistakes himself for a monarch. the report criticizes the president for not cooperating with the impeachment inquiry and parties that "no president is entitled to persist in office after committing high crimes and misdemeanors." and no one who voted for him in the last election is entitled to expect he will do so the judiciary report the latest step in a process that may lead to a house vote on articles of impeachment as early as this week but the president claiming that he is gaining support in the states he'll need to win in 2020 >> they don't want to see impeachment, especially in the swing states they swung - i've never seen a swing like this people realize this is a total hoax >> reporter: a new revelation

today. president trump says he's awaiting a readout froutis tripo ukraine. >> he says he has a lot of good information. >> reporter: suggesting that the former mayor and the country at the center of the impeachment scandal for a conservative documentary may share his findings on capitol hill >> i think he wants to go before congress and say -- and also to the attorney general and the department of justice. i hear he's found plenty >> reporter: jewel yan's documentary promises to investigate ukraine's role in the presidential election. a theory already debunked. giuliani telling nbc news that he will reveal his strategy when he's ready, adding "if this doesn't shake up the swamp, i might then agree with those who say it's hopeless.as sd that the president would be more willing to participate in a senate impeachment hearing >> reporter: the president today said he doesn't know if he'll testify before the senate, but he appeared to be considering it before adding that the entire impeachment inquiry is a hoax.

jose >> hans nichols at the white house. thank you. we will be covering all the news out of the hearings on monday on nbc starting at 9:00 a.m. eastern time an american graduate student is on his way home tonight after being held in an iranian prison for more than three years. his release part of a high-profile prisoner swap we have more from tehran >> reporter: this was the moment american xiyue wang became a free man, hugging a diplomat in switzerland after being held in an iranian prison since 2016 the chinese american had been charged espionage. his family said he was there for graduate studies work. on that same tarmac, the iranians got back a scientist, arrested in the u.s. last year, accused of violating u.s. sanctions by attempting to export biological materials from the u.s. to iran

returning today to a hero's welcome. the exchange brokered by the swiss. in 2017, wang faced those espionage charges on iranian tv. his response delivered under apparent duress. >> the more knowledge the united states possessed about iran, the better for its policy toward iran >> reporter: today his family overjoyed, tweeting, "our family is complete once again our son and i have waited three long years for this day. at least four other americans remain detained or missing in iran some of their families today expressing extreme disappointment, but clinging on to hope that their loved ones may be next. >> i think it was a great thing for iran i think it was great to show that we can do something it might have been a precursor as to what can be done >> ali arouzi from tehran, where is wang right now? >> reporter: well, tonight wang is said to be in good condition,

being treated at an american military base in landstuhl, germany. >> ali arouzi reporting from tehran, thank very much. we know more tonight about the three national guard soldiers killed this week in a helicopter crash their black hawk went down on thursday near st. cloud, minnesota the cause under investigation. and today the guard remembering the men with this social media tribute naming them. chief warrant officer two charles nord, sergeants cort platenburg, chief warrant officer two james rogers jr. the soldiers were part of a unit that had returned from a deployment in the middle east recently this year's flu season is off to its most intense start in 15 years already deadly and spreading quickly. now raising concerns that it could be an especially dangerous flu season nbc medical contributor dr. natalie azar joins us this evening. good to to see you, doctor wh d

least 1.7 million people have been diagnosed with the flu. there have been 16,000 hospitalizations and over 900 deaths the issue is not so much an early start to the season but, rather, having a lot of activity for a long period of time, particularly with a virulent strain the strain that's predominating now, victoria b, tends to be milder in older folks, tougher with people under the age of 50 or children. but it may not be the one that's circulating the entire season. >> is there a certain part of the country that's getting hit harder >> right so right now the virus is -- we're seeing it mostly in the southern states, from texas to georgia. in total, 12 states, plus puerto rico but the flu doesn't discriminate it can start anywhere, circulate anywhere, and we just don't know where it's going to go for the rest of the season >> is it too late to get a flu shot now >> it's definitely not too late. it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies the flu season can last well until may. it's important to remember that if you do catce

you've had the flu vaccine, you're less likely to have severe illness and end up in the hospital with complications like pneumonia. >> so important. doctor, thank you so much for being here when we come back, my interview with the mother of the u.p.s. driver gunned down this week who she blames for his death and the problem with paper straws so many americans hate them. we'll take you where they're made will they ever get any better?

tonight we're remembering frank ordonez, the u.p.s. driver killed in a miami carjacking shoot-out this weekend in an exclusive interview, his mother opened up her home and

heart to us, sharing stories about her son and sharing anger, as well, about who the family believes is responsible for his death. these christmas decorations set up just days ago by their son. what should be a joyful time in this family home now marred by tears and tragedy. "they killed my son," she says [ gunfire her son was 27-year-old frank ordonez, the u.p.s. driver taken hostage during a police chase and killed in crossfire with police and robbers in miami thursday. i spoke to frank's mother, luz apolinario, yesterday. "my son was a good boy, a family man. how could they have killed him why didn't they give him the opportunity? [ sirens ] questions and concerns of police handling echoed by other bahamas -- members of the family frank's sister jenny taking to

social media, sharing tribute videos of the father of two along with tough criticism of the police "today i lost my brother because of the negligence and stupidity of the police. instead of negotiating with the hostage situation, they just shot everyone. >> our job and our mission that day was to prevent further injuries, further casualties from occurring, and the worst case scenario happened now we have law enforcement personnel, and our communities have going to have to carry this weight for rest of their lives it's all devastating for frank's mother and family who face the first christmas without their son. "he looked forward to christmas. he said, mom, we're all inis te. my life is gone with him." frank will be laid to rest on monday please stay with us. when we come back, a climate crisis the big changes happening at this world-famous waterfall.

a solemn memorial at pearl harbor today it is the 78th anniversary of the japanese attack on the hawaii naval base. thousands attended the event, including a handful of survivors from that day in 1941. more than 2,000 americans died and led to the u.s. entry into world war ii. and now to the great straw debate

paper versus plastic if you've tried paper straws, you know some can feel, well, just plain weird turning into a mushy mess. so we sent molly hunter to the biggest paper straw factory in america to find out how they're trying to make them better >> terribly disgusting experience >> paper gets soggy when you put it in liquids. >> try this again. >> reporter: it's one of the most divisive -- >> paper straws are evil >> reporter: most controversial issues in america today -- >> definitely one of the worst inventions ever. >> reporter: paper straws, love 'em or hate 'em, grow more across the country are trying to cut down on the environmental prevalent every day. impact of the non-degradable plastic version. businesses and local governments in 2018 seattle became the first city to ban the use of plastic straws then came california and d.c. and oregon now more than three dozen bills pending in 22 states

aardvark straws in ft. wayne, indiana, is the biggest producer of paper straws >> we store them here, and then we deliver them to the machines here >> reporter: they say paper straws aren't bad, but you have to use them differently. >> is this working - >> don't jam it. don't stir your ice. don't bend it because it won't go back to the original format >> reporter: how do you wage the p.r. battle against paper straw haters in the world? >> educate them that it's a slightly different experience, and you have to educate them that they're going to have a bad experience if they use a bad product. >> reporter: the bad products, aardvark says, are cheap, foreign-made straws flooding the market, giving them a bad rap. and the bad taste left in consumers' mouths has led to accusations of government comio effect the president's re-election campaign even taking a side, don't work many consumers remain a bit confused >> i just wonder if it's less good for the environment to use seven paper straws per drink versus one plastic straw

>> doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: for environmentalists, going paper is a positive step, however imperfect. >> paper will degrade in soil or in water, whereas plastic, it just breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces >> reporter: last year aardvark increased its production, moving to a facility triple the size to meet demand. and they're working to make their product even better. >> we've spent ten years getting the paper straw as strong as it is today the strongest in the world rong k, as t longer lasting experience, main complaints of consumers is they don't like the papery taste on their lips. they're used to plastic which -- >> reporter: has no taste. >> has no taste. >> reporter: aardvark's message to the haters -- their straws don't suck molly hunter, nbc news, ft. wayne, indiana there has been an alarming change for one of our world's wonders. often called the largest waterfall on earth, victoria falls in southern africa typically looks like this.

now it looks a whole lot different. the water has dried up to barely a trickle because of the worst drought in decades you know that controversial peloton commercial that's been trending the one where a man gives this woman an exercise bike as a gift it was widely panned for being sexist now a bit of humor the same actress is in a new ad for a brand of gin posted on twitter by actor ryan reynolds >> you're safe here. >> to new beginnings >> to new beginnings >> the peloton lady's friends seem to be helping her celebrate a night out after a rough weeke about home tw s holiday season

there's good news tonight for our troops this holiday season it's been a tough week for so many of them, but a 10-year-old girl is making sure they get little christmas no matter how far they are from home ♪ at a small workshop in luddington, michigan, there's something special going on

this small army of elves is hard at work stuffing stockings for our troops all over the world. >> yep, handful. rice krispie treat, candy cane, assorted candies, then little coffee powder packets. >> reporter: 10-year-old sawyer hendrickson is in charge a cause very close to her heart. her brother, kyler, joined the marines when she was just 6. and when he was overseas and couldn't come home for the holidays, sawyer and her mom heather sent christmas to him and his company. >> we decided that while he was gone, we were going to figure out a way to do something, you know, so that every day you're thinking about them, remembering them eaousas of stockings stuffede. with gooes at first we only started sending a few hundred. then turned into a few thousand. and now the goal is 10,000 this year >> sawyer's dedication to our

military heroes has become a nonprofit called miss sawyer's kids with a cause. >> it's so amazing >> she's now sending care packages year round. >> you have flow idea how much this means to me and to everybody serving you're just doing such a great job for all of us, and i just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart >> messages of hope for those far from home. a true inspiration to army veteran rick roe, part of the fund-raising squad >> since she was 8, 9, 10 years old has done more for veterans than millions of people combined will do in their lifetime. we got a bright future in this country when we have a generation that she can be a model for moving forward >> for sawyer, already a busy fifth grader, her mission -- service to our military -- well under way i will help them in every ng kate snow is here tomorrow with a consumer story you don't want to miss about what's driving up the cost of orange juice i'm jose diaz-balart reporting from new york. thank you for the privilege of your time, and good night.

rain, leaving people stranded on the freeway. the news at 6:00 starts right now. thanks for joining us. >> a wild afternoon of weather across the bay area. we want to begin our team coverage tonight with meteorologist rob mayeda. he's going to break it all down for us. rob? >> the rain we saw earlier around san francisco was

impressivei impressi impressive. you see it dropped more than an inch of rain. you saw the concrete and asphalt-lined hillsides, all of that comes rushing to the lower elevations, caused a flood warning until just before 5:00 tonight. wa the good news is we're not added to it now. most of the showers moved away and to the east bay. san jose south into morgan hill and the santa cruz mountains seeing locally heavy rain at times. some of these rain rates in orange about half inch of rain per hour with some of that as it moves through and thunderstorms continue to move out of the sacramento area, sierra. tonight, one area we'll be watching as the showers continue, the urban small stream flood supervisors and the kinkaid fire zone from the nor