he would be getting to resocialize with his lemur come pannon. he was kidnapped from the zoo on tuesday night. the man accused arrested in this case. >> nightly news is next. we'll be back at 6:00. tonight, the fight to the finish. just 11 days until the election the candidates back on the campaign trail making their closing arguments. donald trump holding back to back rallies in florida taking aim at biden's comments on the oil industry biden's new attack on the president's handling of the pandemic and that final debate fallout tonight. the staggering record surge in the u.s., over 77,000 new covid cases in a single day we go inside a hard-hit covid unit and after a major setback the announcement on two leading vaccine candidates. the two largest wildfires in colorado history, the thousands forced to flee their homes. the alleged plot to assassinate joe biden thwarted.

the 19-year-old arrested with an arsenal in his van how close he got to biden's home and what else authorities say he was planning. our nbc news exclusive, the jailhouse interview, the convicted leader of nxivm described as by federal prosecutors as a cult-like group that branded women and treated them as sex slaves for the first time since his arrest he is speaking out what he plans to tell the court when he is sentenced days from now. caught on body cam, the race to sav the life of a baby boy. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. it was the last big mile marker in the 2020 race for president. the fact tonight checkers sifting through the remains of last night's debate. an hour and a half toe to toe exchange where both men came armed with well rehearsed attack lines pushing each other's buttons on themes they hope wil supercharge and dominate the now

11-day sprint to the finish it is where we start with geoff bennett >> reporter: high gear in the home stretch tonight. president trump seizing on joe biden's pledge to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. >> joe biden admitted that he wants to abolish the oil industry that wasn't too good did you see him this morning? this morning i didn't really mean that. >> reporter: biden making the remarks near the end of of last night's showdown. >> would you close down the oil industry? >> i would transition from the oil industry, yes. >> oh, that's a big statement. >> that is a big statement. >> that's a big statement. >> why would you do that >> because the oil industry pollutes significantly. >> reporter: comments that could be costly in battleground states that rely on the oil and gas industry biden clarifying after the debate. >> get rid of the subsidies for fossil fuels but we are not going to get rid of fossil fuels for a long time. >> reporter: meantime, the former vp today focusing on the pandemic. >> the president still doesn't have a plan. he's given up. he's quit on you. >> reporter: after

this moment on the debate stage. >> anyone who's responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the united states of america. >> reporter: last night's final face-off moderated by nbc's kristen welker, a tamer, more traditional debate the president positioning as an outsider. >> why didn't he get it done? see? it's all talk no action with these politicians. >> reporter: president trump also attacking biden over unsubstantiated claims related to his son hunter biden's business dealings. >> all of the emails, the emails, th horrible emails of the kind of money you were raking in, you and your family and you were vice president when some of this was happening. >> i have not taken a penny from any foreign source ever in any life. >> reporter: "the wall street journal" no reporting that documents to the newspaper by hunter biden's former business partner show no role for the former vp both candidates making their pitch though nearly 53 million americans have already cast ballots >> i ran because of

you. i ran because of barack obama because you did a poor job. if i thought you did a good job i would have never run. >> you know his character. you know my character. you know the reputations for honor and telling the truth. >> reporter: president trump holding two rallies in florida tonight, a state considered key to his re-election. the biden campaign keeping it competitive with former president obama set to campaign in florida tomorrow. lester >> all right geoff bennett tonight, thank you. there's late word this evening the two covid vaccine trials are safe to resume after being put on hold for safety concerns and the country has set a new daily record more than 77,000 new cases. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: as our country sets a new record for daily covid cases tonight a grim prediction from researchers, by the end of february our national death toll could hit 500,000. today 34 states where mandates and restrictions vary widely have already surpassed more than 1,000 deaths

>> what i would have loved to have seen was a little bit mor uniformity in what the states are doing so that you have a consistency. >> reporter: today amid the race for a vaccine, johnson & johnson and astra zeneca working with university of oxford announced they'll resume stage three clinical trials after a safety pause while we wait for a vaccine, a new forecast also says universal mask wearing would save 130,000 lives. cities like fargo are now implementing new mandates but the dakotas which had among the lowest infection rates in the nation now have the highest. in fact, the death toll in rural communities versus big cities is three times higher per capita with an estimated 1 million americans being tested every day, here in los angeles the city is hoping to soon roll out at-home testing. officer alex arengo tested positive after responding to a house call on thursday, a funeral procession was held

for the 27-year veteran and father. >> we really pleading that there's a cure in the near future because enough is enough. >> reporter: but tonight, a vaccine remains out of reach as hundreds of americans die every day. miguel almaguer, nbc news. this is gabe gutierrez in madison, wisconsin, where the covid units at university hospital keep growing. >> i'm very scared if this doesn't stop soon we're going to end up with a much bigger problem. >> reporter: dr. katie cavinski started working here this summer it's much busier now how much worse do you think this could get >> i think unfortunately it could get really, really terrible it's devastating. it's terrifying to see someone struggling to breathe. you can see the fear in their eyes. you can see how scared they are. >> reporter: this covid unit has 28 beds it reached that capacity not long ago and now down to 20 patients and this hospital is making plans for this winter

as flu season takes hold this is one of the hospital's three covid units. it was once just one hallway. now it's four. >> people are staying in here who are very sick >> reporter: nurse katie lenoway knows the hardest part. >> they're lonely and harder for us to manage and playing the different roles, playing the nurse, playing the support person it is very difficult. >> reporter: tonight just across town the big ten conference kicks off its college football season. no tailgating allowed but -- >> the badger game this evening does worry us we have a very healthy culture of celebrating the badgers. tailgating, parties. if that happens this year with how much covid is in our community it is certain to cause a superspreader event. >> reporter: a dir warning from those on the front lines. over the last week here in wisconsin an average of 23% of those tested came back positive lester >> all right an eye-opening look for us tonight gabe, thank you. there is a

determined battle in colorado where two o the biggest wildfires in the state's history have driven thousands from their homes and could combine into a single massive inferno. steve patterson is there. >> reporter: overnight the colossal east troublesome fire growing to over 170,000 acres. now the second largest fire in colorado history. the flames forcing thousands to flee in panic clogging county roads under blood red skies. >> your friends' homes are on fire and you're watching it with your eyes >> reporter: evacuee roddy kimbal grabbed what she could. before racing away >> probably the last time we would see our home >> reporter: kate brown watched her house burn from the doorbell camera. >> it was horrific, absolutely horrific to watch. >> this was the worst of the worst of the worst because what happened is it came in so quick. >> reporter: the sheriff said the damage is vast and they're not out of the woods yet. big weather system coming in. what's the biggest challenge with that? >> the way fire here and fire here and we

want to make sure that we keep everybody safe as that wind front comes through. >> reporter: tonight as the fire figh continues in neighbors ravaged by flames evacuees are left only with the hope they have a home left to return to. the two largest wildfires in colorado history are miles apart. thankfully, cooler temperatures help on both fronts but with powerful winds moving in that could change in a heartbeat lester >> all right steve, thanks. federal agents say a man from washington state took steps toward plotting to kill joe biden this spring but may have been more intent on carrying out some kind of a mass attack here's nbc's pete williams. >> reporter: police near charlotte, north carolina, say when they checked out an abandoned van in this bank parking lot they found guns and cash inside and discovered the owner, 19-year-old alexander

treisman downloade thousands of images of child pornography but searches show he bought a rifle last spring, got within four miles of joe biden's home in delaware and posted a meme online with this caption, "should i kill joe biden." court documents sa he was obsessed with mass shootings that he wrote about shooting up a food court and a video of hijacking a plan and flying it into a building and drove to the site of the 2017 mass shooting in las vegas and recorded himself saying "that's where they did it, nice." >> many mass shooters are obsessed with events like columbine. his acquisition of multiple firearms. his extensive travel all indicate to me he was on a trajectory for mass murder. >> reporter: treisman faces child pornography charges only and has pleaded not guilty but federal law enforcement officials say they believe he was intent on carrying out a mass shooting lester >> all right pete williams, thanks. overseas almost 70 people in nigeria have been killed i protests against police brutality in recent days. beyonce and other celebrities were among those supporting the

protesters here's nbc's bill neely. >> reporter: in africa's biggest city, the sound of a massacre peaceful protesters killed >> they're shooting at us right now. >> reporter: in a brutal crackdown by security forces. it followed days of demonstrations against a notorious police unit accused of torture and murder the protests spreading online around the world. from beyonce calling it senseless brutality to rihanna and nigerian sports star turning on their government. >> you guys are a shame to the world for killing your own citizens. >> reporter: echoing american protests, their slogan is our lives matter their president an ex-army general pledges to reform the police many don't believe he'll do it. nigeria is africa's economic powerhouse. 200 million people tonight both protesters and government are

defiant. dozens are dead. it's a tinderbox lester >> all right bill neely, thank you. back home now to the tight race in florida we have been following. young latinos will be a critical voting bloc there. morgan radford and julio vaqueiro with the latest in the nbc news/telemundo collaboration. >> reporter: 24-year-old college student ray anthony is getting ready to cast his ballot. >> i'm voting for president trump. >> reporter: he knows this year his vote is crucial. a record 32 million latinos are eligible to vote this year. about 40% of them are young latinos between 18 and 35. how many of you will vote for president trump in this upcoming election all of you nationwide our polls show biden leading among young hispanics by 55 percentage points but ray and his friends say they have seen more young latino voters turning to president trump. why the republican party? >> i believe that the republican party today

is the best option we have. >> latinos don't want free stuff we want freedom. >> reporter: freedom they say from the regimes their families fled. 35-year-old jessica fernandez is the daughter of cuban exiles >> i'm so thankful that we have in president donald trump somebody who has stated on the record america will never become a socialist country. >> the enthusiasm is through the roof in 2016 we didn't really see that. >> reporter: nearly every 30 seconds a latino in the u.s. turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote here in florida, a state the president just narrowly won, any shift in that new latino voter population can tip the scales dramatically. >> reporter: that's right, morgan. which is why democrats here are working so hard to make sure their voters turn out like never before. >> in october -- >> reporter: that is exactly what they're doing at this house in the heart of miami we met members of the freedom project.

including carolina >> i'm voting with my life on the line, and my general relation ration's life an voting for a livable future. >> reporter: the pandemic brought drastic changes to her life from dropping out of college to taking care of her grandfather who's also voting for biden. >> i've learned how to connect with him in different ways and how to use the relationship for change and to connect with both of our generations in that way. >> reporter: chris i another first-time voter looking for change your mother? >> undocumented. >> reporter: your father >> deported. >> reporter: his father was arrested on christian's 10th birthday a month later he was in honduras. now he is voting for biden. >> he made a promise to help daca recipients get citizenship. >> will you be remembering your dad when you cast your ballot >> yes, i will the moment i get the i voted sticker is going to be a memory that i will have that's going to stay for me probably until the day i die. >> reporter: a crucial vote for him in a crucial time for this country. julio vaqueiro telemundo, miami.

>> and next week i'll be talking to voters in the key battleground states of nevada, wisconsin and pennsylvania in our special series "across america. we'll take a break. in just 60 seconds, self-help group or dangerous cult our exclusive interview with the leader of nxivm just days before he is sentenced.

now our nbc news exclusive, keith raniere, the leader of nxivm described by federal prosecutors as cult-like speaking out to "dateline" from jail for the first time since his arrest stephanie gosk on what he's now saying days before he's sentenced. >> reporter: they called him vanguard, the founder of vxivm described by federal prosecutors as cult-like. keith raniere has not spoken publicly since his arrest more than two years ago but now days from being sentenced on federal charges he is talking. >> one of the things that's most important

in our country is the justice system and although, you know, people can hate me and do and think i'm an odious type of a character, you know, awful actually both the devil and the saint should be able to get the exact same treatment under our justice system. >> reporter: today raniere spoke with the of all people th man that helped bring him down, web journalist frank parlotta, a former nxivm spokesman. he himself pleaded not guilty to tax and other charges that originated from the involvement. >> you plan out 14 steps. >> reporter: if you have seen the hbo docu-series, "the vow," his name may ring a bell. he broke the story that a group within nxivm was treating women as sex slaves and branding them with raniere's initials raniere was convicted in 2019 of sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy and racketeering. >> do you intend to

make a statement at your sentencing that you are innocent >> yes, i am innocent. and although it is -- this is a horrible tragedy with many, many people being hurt i think the main thrust of this has been the oppression, but really, a different issue which is hard for me to express. there is a horrible injustice here and whether you think i'm the devil or not the justice process has to be examined. >> reporter: victims and their families don't want to hear from keith raniere. they say he tried to destroy women's lives. >> really, these women, without being aware they were on a runaway roller coaster to hell and they were completely unaware and that's where keith raniere was taking them, like to hell. >> reporter: raniere is now accusin federal prosecutors of misconduct, alleging evidence tampering

nbc news producer took part in the ranier interview. >> i apologize for my participation in all of this, this pain and suffering. i've clearly participated i've been the leader of the community. >> reporter: raniere could face life in prison when he is sentenced on tuesday a judge will consider impact statements from over 100 victims stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. up next for us, stores taking extreme measures to make holiday shopping safe.

in "the price you pay," the big push by retailers to make customers feel safe in stores as the holiday shopping season begins to heat up here's jo ling kent. >> reporter: stores are making big changes to ensure you can shop safely this holiday season retailers large and small trying to balance their need for your in-person spending with a new cdc recommendation to avoid shopping in crowded stores just before, on or after thanksgiving calling it higher risk of spreading covid-19. that fear has more than half of shoppers anxious about shopping in person. to make you feel more comfortable stores like target ar letting you make a advance reservation to shop, you can choose the location on the phone. that way you know if there's a line to shop at a safe social distance small businesses like the brook's collection a gift shop near memphis, are transforming the shopping experience, too. >> three things that really helped us were

facetime in the shop, virtual shopping and then just taking pictures of the items the customer might be interested in and texting it to the customer. >> reporter: if you didn't innovate for the holiday season would your business survive? >> i really don't think it would have. >> reporter: going the extra mile to safely get shoppers into the holiday spirit jo ling kent, nbc news, burbank. up next, a deputy's lifesaving effort to save a baby in distress.

a baby boy is alive and well thanks to a quick-thinking sheriff's deputy the dramatic save captured on a body camera here's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: for the infant's family, the few seconds must have felt like a lifetime they did for texas sheriff deputy adam dodson. >> it was a long minute. >> reporter: the 20-day-old bab lifeless, not breathing. >> immediately saw how much the child was in distress i just believe adrenaline kicked in. >> come on, baby you have to breathe, baby. >> reporter: the father of a little girl himself, he couldn't help but think of his own child. >> makes you appreciate not just your child's life but everybody's life a little bit more. >> reporter: finally -- >> okay, baby? good >> reporter: the boy takes a breath after a trip to the hospital, he's expected to be fine. dodson honored by the department he says he doesn't feel like a hero why not? >> i just did what i felt was right. >> reporter: a humble first responder.

>> i do wish people would see that we are human, as well there are many, many good police officers out there. >> reporter: who hopes his actions change more than just a baby's life. kristen dahlgren nbc news. >> my goodness, what a moment that was. that's "nightly news" for this friday. thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night right now at 6:00 the scott peter son trial riveted the bay area 16 years ago. the jury sentenced him to death for killing his wife and unborn child. >> today he was back in court. attending virtually wearing a mask. what's behind the push for a new trial. >> fierce winds are putting firefighters on alert. >> i'll have more on the fire danger impacting all of the bay

area in the days ahead. >> that means pg&e is scrambling once again. how it's getting ready for the biggest wind event of the fire season. >> the news at 6:00 starts now. good friday. thank you for joining us. >> it was one of the most emotionally wrenching and rivets disappearances. that of lacy peterson and her unborn child. and the sentencing of her husband. he has been on death row since he was convicted. today his fortunes changed. or did that. what prosecutors will do in the case. >> gusty conditions are making their way back to the bay area this weekend. cal fire says they are