(lester laughs) dr. john just flew in. - it's great talking to another fellow pilot about especially things like candy because i have a trick or treat, a sweet tooth as well. i love candy. but the important thing to remember is you wanna make sure that you're trick or treating safely, if you do do that. and that means one-way trick or treating. so they should have in individual packages on their driveway or their yard. on the outside of the bag you might wanna wipe that down but inside make sure it's individually packaged candies that you can take out and you can go and eat. but the one that you wanna make sure is your parents look at all the candy beforehand to make sure it's safe. and of course, don't eat too much of the candy. and when you're done, especially that night, don't forget to brush your teeth. but otherwise, happy flying. - all right, maverick. thanks very much. or dr. john, thanks so much. speaking of halloween, we know this year may look a little different, but there's still a lot of fun

here's lester holt >> good evening. with new covid cases on the rise from the white house to the american heartland vice president mike pence will debate democratic vp candidate senator kamala harris hours from now in utah the covid outbreak that sidelined the president seen in this video released late today turning up the spotlight for tonight's showdown harris, a former prosecutor hoping to make the case against the administration's covid response, pence an experienced debater looking to close ground in the polls. our geoff bennett has a preview. >> reporter: tonight, we are just hours away vice president mike pence and senator kamala harris facing off in an historic debate with suddenly higher stakes. coming as president trump recovers from coronavirus, all eyes on the vice president's performance trying to make up ground in national polls and on senator harris who will be facing the biggest test of her political career and the debate even more critical with both serving as understudies to the oldest candidates to ev

>>> we will send it over to lester holt. we'll see you again at 6:00. >> announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> good evening, we begin with breaking news, the unprecedented health crisis unfolding at this hour in america's highest office president trump, a short time ago, flown to walter reed hospital, as a precaution after both he and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus. that bombshell dropping just 32 days before the election. and days after the president shared a debate stage with joe biden who has now tested negative. we're covering all angles of this rapidly developing story hallie jackson starting us off tonight from the white house. what's the latest? >> reporter: as we come on the air president trump right now is inside a military hospital, just about a ten-minute helicopter ride from here it is an extraordinary development after a day full of them the president, i'm told by a senior administration official, will be working out of a suite there for the next several days as a precauti

>> announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> good evening, we begin with breaking news, the unprecedented health crisis unfolding at this hour in america's highest office president trump, a short time ago, flown to walter reed hospital, as a precaution after both he and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus. that bombshell dropping just 32 days before the election. and days after the president shared a debate stage with joe biden who has now tested negative. we're covering all angles of this rapidly developing story hallie jackson starting us off tonight from the white house. what's the latest? >> reporter: as we come on the air president trump right now is inside a military hospital, just about a ten-minute helicopter ride from here it is an extraordinary development after a day full of them the president, i'm told by a senior administration official, will be working out of a suite there for the next several days as a precautionary measure. it is precautionary, perhaps, but it is also historic after the president's diagnosis sent shock waves through this c

>> lester, pausing or putting a clinical trial on hold is actually quite common. but usually these pauses happen behind the scenes now, though, with the urgency of the pandemic, there's much more public attention on every single step of the process these pauses are a good indicator that companies are looking seriously at not just the effectiveness but also the safety of these medicines. now researchers will investigate what caused the adverse reaction and determine if and when it's safe to resume the trials lester >> yeah. some really important perspective there. john, thanks >>> tough questions today for supreme court nominee judge amy coney barrett on day two of her senate confirmation hearings. democrats trying to pin down how she'd rule on major issues like abortion and obamacare. peter alexander now with late details. >> reporter: supreme court nominee judge amy coney barrett tonight facing senators' questions for the first time pressed whether she would overrule landmark decisions >> judges can't just wake up one day and say i have an agenda, i like guns, i

thank you for watching everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each othe >>> right now at 6:00, putting on the brakes. the reason san francisco is scaling back reopening plans. >>> plus, santa clara county sues a san jose church. >>> i'm willing to be obedient to god. >> the covid protocols pastors are not following and where this fight leads to next. >>> millions of early votes already kasa cross california. the bay area braces for a busy weekend ahead of tuesday's election. >>> the news at 6:00. good friday. i'm jessica aguirre. >>> raj ma nigh is with us as well. >> we chat with one of california's top republicans and she tells us why the polling is wrong and why voters will choose the economy over character. we'll see in about three minutes. >> thank you, raj. >>> not backing down. a south bay pastor will keep welcoming parishioners into his church without restrictions even though the church has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. tonight that battle is heating up and headed to court. robert handa rep

thank you for watching everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other, and have a fun ♪ >> kelly: you can tell by the way ♪ the way i use my walk ♪ i'm a woman no time to talk ♪ music loud and women warm i've been ♪ ♪ kicked around since i was born ♪ ♪ and now it's all right it's okay ♪ ♪ and you may look the other way ♪ ♪ we can try to understand ♪ the new york times' effect on man ♪ ♪ whether you're a brother ♪ or whether you're a mother ♪ you're stayin' alive stayin' alive ♪ ♪ feel the city breaking ♪ and everybody shaking ♪ people stayin' alive ♪ stayin' alive ♪ well now i get low and i get high ♪ ♪ and if i can't get either i really try ♪ ♪ got the wings of heaven on my shoes ♪ ♪ got a dancing man and i just can't lose ♪ ♪ you know it's all right it's okay ♪ ♪ i'll live to see another day

lester? >> thanks very much. >>> we want you to join savannah, chuck, andrea and me for full coverage of tonight's debate starting at 9:00 p.m. eastern/6:00 p.m. time here on nbc. >>> just two days after he left the hospital, president trump was back in the oval office today and releasing a new video saying it was a blessing from god that he got sick because he could experience how well an experimental new treatment works. peter alexander has the latest. >> reporter: president trump tonight still recovering but back in the oval office for the first time since testing positive for coronavirus. releasing this video. >> because i feel great. i feel like perfect. so, i think this was the blessing from god that i caught it. >> reporter: praising the experimental antibody cocktail he received. >> it really did a fantastic job. i want to get for you what i got. i'm going to make it free. >> reporter: dr. sean conley said he's been fever free more than four days, symptom free over 24 hours and not ne

lester >> hallie jackson tonight at the white house. thanks >>> the fda today imposed stricter standards for coronavirus vaccines, making it unlikely a vaccine will be approved by election day in spite of the president's insistence that there likely would be nbc's kate snow spoke with dr. anthony fauci today about that and the mixed messages coming from the white house. >> reporter: last night the president again promising a covid vaccine soon >> the vaccines are coming momentarily >> reporter: but today the fda released new stricter guidanc for vaccine makers seeking approval at least half of participants in trials must be followed for two months after their second dose, meaning a vaccine approved before election day is highly unlikely. i spoke with dr. anthony fauci for a cornell university event just prior to that news. >> the fda is proposing stricter guidelines for approval of a covid vaccine. do you support that new fda guidance >> oh, i definitely support the fda. those guidances were put together by career scientists and regulat

>> reporter: that's right, lester. senator romney said he already cast his ballot in the 2020 election he says he did not vote for president trump but wouldn't say if he voted for joe biden. with election day fast approaching the president's closing argument is clouded by controversy, including his attacks on dr. anthony fauci an his repeated downplaying of the pandemic, add to that, new reporting by "the new york times" revealing the president has extensive business interests in china and is linked to a bank account there. the disclosure dealing a blow to president trump's attempt to paint joe biden as the one who's soft on china. lester >> all right geoff bennett tonight, thank you. >>> join us for the final presidential debate moderated by nbc's kristen welker tomorrow night at 8:00 eastern here on nbc. >>> barack obama making a fiery return to the campaign trail tonight appealing to pennsylvania voters on behalf of his former number two joe biden and launching a sharp attack on donald trump. with now under two week

>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. a stunning domestic terror plot to storm the michigan state house and kidnap governor gretchen whitmer has been foiled tonight in a case sending a chill across an already anxious country. state and federal prosecutors announcing the arrests of more than a dozen men who they say targeted the governor over what they saw as her uncontrolled power the men according to authorities are linked to militia groups and ready to instigate civil war. tonight governor whitmer who drew criticism from the right over coronavirus restrictions is speaking out our pete williams reports. >> preparing to kidnap and possibly kill me >> reporter: the fbi says the target of the plot was michigan's democratic governor gretchen whitmer investigators say five men from michigan and one from delaware met several times beginning in june and talked about storming the state capitol in lansing and taking the governor hostage their main complaint seems to have been state restrictions imposed during the pandemic especia

lester >> dr. john torres, thank you. >>> on day three of the supreme court confirmation hearings, judge amy coney barrett faced intense questions from democrats about obamacare and presidential power nbc's peter alexander is on capitol hill for us. >> reporter: in judge amy coney barrett's final day of questioning republicans casting her expected confirmation as a groundbreaking moment for conservative women. >> this is the first time in american history that we've nominated a woman who's unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology, and she is going to the court. >> reporter: barrett was pressed on presidential powers. >> i agree no one is above the law. >> reporter: but saying she could not weigh in when democrats asked whether a president can pardon himself as president trump has insisted >> so far as i know, that question has never been litigated it is not one on which i can offer a view. >> reporter: she was challenged on the 2017 article she wrote criticizing the court's decis

lester >> dr. john torres, thank you. >>> day three of the supreme court confirmation hearings, judge amy coney barrett faced intense questions from democrats about obamacare and presidential power nbc's peter alexander is on capitol hill for us. >> reporter: in judge amy coney barrett's final day of questioning republicans casting her expected confirmation as a groundbreaking moment for conservative women. >> this is the first time in american history that we've nominated a woman who's unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology, and she is going to the court. >> reporter: barrett was pressed on presidential powers. >> i agree no one is above the law. >> reporter: but saying she could not weigh in when democrats asked whether a president can pardon himself as president trump has insisted >> as far as i know, that question has never been litigated it is not one on which i can offer a view. >> reporter: she was challenged on the 2017 article she wrote criticizing the court's decision

lester >> geoff bennett, thank you. >>> now across america. tonight, as the country adds an astounding 71,000 new covid cases a day, wisconsin already in the glare of the national political spotlight suffering some of the worst of the pandemic breaking a single day record of new covid cases, 5,262, and deaths, 64 what seemed so distant for people here early in the pandemic now weighing heavily as they go to the polls these are the critical milwaukee suburbs that could determine if president trump wins wisconsin again or if joe biden flips it back to blue our journey brings us to wisconsin not only because it is a swing state, and an importan part of a path to victory for both men but also it is a state that's been rocked by two of the major issues of the campaign the protests for social justice and the violence, plus a frightening surge in covid cases and hospitalizations >> my symptoms were cough, fever, body ache >> reporter: melissa armer had covid last spring, but breathing problems lingered for weeks. so she went back to the hospital wher

lester >> we hate to go down that road again. richard, thank you >>> what's left of hurricane delta is barrelling through the northeast this evening after causing major destruction along the gulf coast nbc's sam brock is in louisiana tonight. >> reporter: slammed by a double dose of devastating hurricanes, southwest louisiana is now laying eyes on a widening portrait of destruction. the coast guard capturing flood-soaked communities. >> every single street and corner have debris, have trees down. >> reporter: tonight search and rescue crews are assessing that damage. at least three deaths from delta including an 86-year-old man, loss of property, too. >> this is what's left of 2,100 square feet of living. >> reporter: with residents forced to demolish the punctured homes. >> this was th kitchen. >> reporter: jody runs a nonprofit that helps food and rent insecure families now she has no home to return to. >> it was heartbreaking. mother nature doesn't give us a choice sometimes. >> reporter: as the remnants of delta make the way

lester holt is next. we'll see you again at 6:00. >> bye. see you soon. >>> tonight, the face-off in florida. just five days until the election the campaigns collide in that crucial battleground with duelling rallies at president trump's event the heat s intense a dozen supporters taken to the hospital biden at his own event blasting the president on covid and declaring if florida goes blue it's over. our new poll, who's leading in the sunshine state. >>> hurricane zeta turning deadly the storm racing across nine states after slamming on shore as a category 2. at least six killed, at least a million without power. some outages impacting early voting. >>> the terror attack at a church. a man armed with a knife killing three, one victim escaping only to be chased down what we know about the suspect. >>> the covid surge, the u.s. hitting 9 million cases, at least 6 states breaking daily records. our exclusive access inside a covid icu in a growing hot spot. >>> the surveillance video, thieves making off with a million dollars worth of vital ppe

thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night >>> right now at 6:00 a break in the case. they found the man who sucker punched a conservative alkt vis in san francisco. what he's charged with is raising eyebrows. >> who gets priority when the coronavirus vaccine is ready? >> there are audacious stretch goals you have been hearing that have been advance ld out of the washington d.c. >> making sure every californiaen has a fair chance to get the shot. >> it's a rallying cry for president trump to supporters. don't vote by mail. be a polling place to make sure the election is secure. leaders have a plan for how to make that happen. >> the news starts now. good evening. thanks for joining us. >> president trump has repeatedly asked supporters to spend election day at the polling places watching for any wrong doing. it's legal for any california voter to monitor the vote count. people are worried the call could lead to intimidation at the polls on election day. what's being done about it? >> first of all, interfering with t

lester >> boy, what a season it's been. all right. thank you, al. >>> while the president says we're rounding the corner with the coronavirus it is exploding in many parts of the country tonight. hospitalizations up 40% in the last month. rural areas being hit especially hard. gabe gutierrez is in south dakota >> reporter: tonight, the covid crisis is ravaging many smaller communities for the first time. >> we have a certain percentage of the nursing staff, our physician staff, all of our staff that are out either quarantining or sick with covid >> reporter: the dakotas lead the u.s. in coronavirus cases per capita cases in at least 42 states are up 10 or more in the last 2 weeks. >> so now we are at the highest baseline we have ever been which is really quite precarious no matter how you look at it, it's not good news >> reporter: across the country, about 41,000 people are now hospitalized a 40% jump in th last month >> we have cared for them for so long, and we truly do love them, and we miss them. >> reporter: in el paso, texas, h

thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night ♪ you say you don't know ♪ what you were thinking ♪ well neither do i ♪ and after the time we spent together ♪ ♪ you think you deserve another try ♪ ♪ well boy i don't know what it is ♪ ♪ that you're expecting ♪ just because you looked me in the eye ♪ ♪ and say you're sorry ♪ oh you're sorry ♪ you want it back the way it was ♪ ♪ well i'm sorry ♪ but sometimes sorry ♪ just ain't good enough ♪ oh boy i don't know what it is ♪

thanks for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each >>> right now, at 6:00, when the sun goes down, he comes out. >> this is an extremely ignorant type of vandalism. >> plus, new evacuation orders and dangerous fire weather returns to wine country. >> we are under red flag conditions right now, so our focus is contending with the changing conditions on the line. >> we will show you the area that the firefighters are concerned about tonight. >> and it's deja vu, the return of the smokey skies. we have the aqi forecast as we head in to friday. the news at 6:00, starts right now. good evening and thank you for being with us. warm temperatures and gust y winds and new evacuation orders. firefighters are now racing to contain the flames before the winds kick up again. tonight, new evacuation orders went out for those living in the north bay, between highway 128 all the way to the sonoma county line and both sides between calastoga up to the borderer of lake county. and everyone on the road, if you live

i'm lester holt. please continue to take care of yourself and each other good night gmac dell mack ♪ >> kelly: ♪ i've been a bad, bad girl ♪ ♪ i've been careless with a delicate man ♪ ♪ and it's a sad, sad world ♪ when a girl will break a boy ♪ just because she can ♪ don't you tell me to deny it ♪ i've done wrong and i wanna suffer for my sins ♪ ♪ i've come to you 'cause i need guidance to be true ♪ ♪ and i just don't know where i can begin ♪ ♪ what i need is a good defense ♪ ♪ 'cause i'm feelin' like a criminal ♪ ♪ and i need to be redeemed ♪ to the one i've sinned against ♪ ♪ because he's all i ever knew of love ♪

i'm lester holt. please continue to take care of yourself and each other ♪ ♪ somebody broke me once ♪ love was a currency ♪ a shimmering balance act ♪ i think that i laughed at that ♪ ♪ and i saw your face and hands ♪ ♪ colored in sun and then ♪ i think i understand ♪ will i understand ♪ will we fight stay up late ♪ in my dreams i'm to blame ♪ different sides of the bed ♪ roll your eyes shave my head ♪ now we're stuck in the storm ♪ we were born to ignore ♪ and all i got is a chance to just say ♪ ♪ baby love me you've got me, runaway ♪ ♪ you steal the air out of my lungs ♪ ♪ you make me feel it ♪ i pray for everything we lost ♪ ♪ buy back the secrets ♪ your hand forever's all i want ♪ ♪ don't take the money ♪ don't take the money ♪ will we fight stay up late ♪ in my dreams i'm to blame ♪ different sides of the bed ♪ roll your eyes shave my head ♪ now we're stuck in the storm ♪ we were born to ignore ♪ and all i got is a chance

lester >> it is such a shame. all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> up next, the act of kindness one former marine helping another, that's inspiring america. >>> in tonight's inspiring america, one retired marine, who had something so valuable taken from him and another who helped get it back here's catie beck. >>> like most veteran marines 84-year-old tom -- has weathered tough days, this one is different. >> it brings me to the verge of tears. >> happy tears, a wrong made right after a break-in at his home in northern virginia, stolen among other things, a sacred medal. the detective worked the case with heart. he too is a former marine, moved by his valiant service in vietnam. >> he stayed there, under fire, until all his marines were lifted off that is a great american >> reporter: corona caught the burglars, the medals got away, so he with his own money ordered new ones. >> a small token of our appreciation. >> reporter: it didn't feel small to the man who earned them. >> i'm floored. >> reporter: what b

lester >> all right, al thank you. we'll keep an eye on delta as it makes the way inland >>> there's breaking news in the white house tonight. the president to resume in-person appearances starting this weekend and again hailing what he alone calls a cure for covid-19 that helped him recover. hallie jackson has late details >> reporter: the president eager to escape his covid confinement. now expected to appear tomorrow at a law and order event on the south lawn, according to a white house official set to greet attendees from the same balcony where he peeled off his mask monday night, arriving home from the hospital now as the trump campaign announces his first rally set for monday in florida, new confirmation that nine people at a rally several weeks ago in minnesota tested positive for the coronavirus, including two people who had to be hospitalized one in intensive care. at that event, few masks and no social distancing. similar to events at the white house before the president's diagnosis. leading to this startling

lester >> that warning received dr. john torres, thank you. >>> now the covid crisis is cascading through college football with a growing number of games postponed and training facilities closed as players and a top coach test positive morgan chesky reports. >> reporter: tonight football caught in a covid-19 blitz players, coaches in both college and pros r: alaba head coach nick suddenly sidelined by coronavirus. >> at this point, i'm completely asymptomatic, feel fine. >> reporter: alabama head coach nick saban speaking out after testing positive. >> we are still doing everything possible to get ready for the georgia game >> reporter: the impact nationwide. >> testing every day this week. >> reporter: 21 athletes on the florida gator football team testing positive. >> we don't think it's appropriate that we try to play the game this weekend >> reporter: when's the breaking point for entire conferences >> without complete total bubbling which is not practical for most of these football teams there's a great chance that

aid he cast the b >> reporter: that's right, lester. senator romney said he cast the ballot in the 2020 election and did not vote for president trump but wouldn't say if he voted for joe biden. with election day fast approaching the president's closing argument is clouded by controversy, including his attacks on dr. anthony fauci an his repeated downplaying of the pandemic, add to that, new reporting by "the new york times" revealing the president has extensive business interests in china and is linked to a bank account there. the disclosure dealing a blow to president trump's attempt to paint joe biden as the one who's soft on china. lester >> all right geoff bennett tonight, thank you. >>> join us for the final presidential debate moderated by nbc's kristen welker tomorrow night at 8:00 eastern here on nbc. >>> brahm back making a fiery return to the campaign trail tonight appealing to pennsylvania voters on behalf of his former number two joe biden and launching a sharp attack on president trump. both campaigns are mapping their path

lester holt with "nightly news" is next. we'll see you at 6:00. >> good night. >>> tonight, the final week sprint to the election joe biden going to offense, hoping to turn traditionally red georgia blue in florida, barack obama had a new attack on donald trump. the president on the trail, trying to defend three states he won in 2016. and taking a supreme court victory lap. new justice amy coney barrett officially sworn in today the coronavirus spreading faster than ever in the u.s., 71,000 cases a day tonight, our cross america series brings us to wisconsin, just as that state breaks its daily record for cases and deaths and the anger over new crackdown overseas the disturbing video police in philadelphia fatally shooting a black man, they say he had a knife. violent protests erupting 30 officers injured. the city braces for more unrest tonight. massive walls of fire explode in california. over 90,000 evacuated as firefighters are critically injured racing from zeta a hurricane warning on the gulf coast evacuations ordered.

lester >> seems like there's no end to the suffering in all this. gabe, thank you. >>> as the country is consumed by a new wave in the pandemic, there is rising concern of a shortage of medical gloves now that's crucial for keeping health care workers and patients safe stephanie gosk has our nbc news investigation. >> reporter: 10:30 sunday night in coral gables florida. a million-dollar heist is under way the cargo, surgical gloves shipped from malaysia critical for health care workers fighting covid and there are fears of a looming shortage across the country. in south dakota where the virus is surging, gloves are now five times more expensive. >> are there places where we can see people run out of gloves in the next few months >> yeah, i think we will especially in the smaller rural communities where the hospitals, critical access hospitals are strapped for cash. they can't afford to buy a shipping container. >> reporter: nonlatex medical gloves are manufactured almost entirely in asia the only u.s.-owned factory is here in northern new hampshire

thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. ♪ tastes like strawberries [cheers and applause] ♪ on a summer evenin' ♪ and it sounds just like a song ♪ ♪ i want more berries ♪ and that summer feelin' ♪ it's so wonderful and warm ♪ breathe me in ♪ breathe me out ♪ i don't know if i could ever go without ♪ ♪ watermelon sugar high ♪ watermelon sugar high ♪ watermelon sugar high ♪ watermelon sugar high ♪ i just wanna taste it ♪ i just wanna taste it ♪ watermelon sugar high ♪ tastes like strawberries ♪ on a summer evenin' ♪ and it sounds just like a song ♪ ♪ i want you and i ♪ want that summer feelin' ♪ i don't know if i ♪ could ever go without ♪ watermelon sugar high

lester >> it is such a shame. all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> up next, the act of kindness one former marine helping another, that's inspiring america. >>> in tonight's inspiring america, one retired marine, who had something so valuable taken from him and another who helped get it back here's catie beck. >> reporter: like most veteran marines 84-year-old retired lieutenant colonel tom faleskie has weathered tough days this one is different. >> it brings me to the verge of tears. >> reporter: happy tears, a wrong made right after a break-in at his home in northern virginia, stolen among other things, a sacred military service medal. detective frank corona worked the case with heart. he too is a former marine, moved by his valiant service in vietnam. >> he stayed there, under fire, until all his marines were lifted off that is a great american >> reporter: corona caught the burglars, the medals got away, so corona with his own money ordered new ones. >> i can never replace what was taken, but a small tok

thanks for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. ♪ all i want to get is ♪ a little bit closer ♪ all i wanna know is, ♪ can you come a little closer? ♪ ♪ here comes the breath before we get a little bit closer ♪ ♪ here comes the rush before we touch, come a little closer ♪ ♪ the doors are open, the wind is really blowing ♪ ♪ the night sky is changing overhead ♪ ♪ it's not just all physical ♪ i'm the type who won't get, oh so critical ♪ ♪ so let's make things physical ♪ ♪ i won't treat you like you're oh, so typical ♪ ♪ i won't treat you like you're oh so typical ♪ ♪ i want you close, i want you ♪ i won't treat you like you're typical ♪ ♪ i want you close, i want you ♪ i won't treat you like you're typical ♪ ♪ here come the dreams of you and me, here come the dreams ♪ ♪ here come

lester >> all right hallie, thank you. just in, the senate holding that vote on con firming amy coney barrett as the next justice of the supreme court. our kasie hunt joins us now from the capitol. how did it play out? >> reporter: the senate voting largely along party lines to confirm judge amy coney barrett to fill the late justice ruth bader ginsburg's seat on the supreme court one month after president trump announced he planned to nominate. one republican, susan come lens of maine, voted against putting barrett on the court every democrat opposed her over concerns of abortion and particularly health care with the court expected to hear a case that could decide the future of the affordable care act days after the election but there's nothing democrats could do to stop the confirmation and it was the most partisan confirmation in supreme court history. lester >> all right kasie hunt on capitol hill for us, thanks. >>> there's a new fire emergency in southern california tens of of thousands of people forced to evacuate m

lester >> all right, geoff bennett at the white house. thanks >>> also breaking, the justice department suing google in a massive antitrust suit, arguing it's far too big, abusing its dominant position, and squeezing out competitors. tom costello on what it might mean for you. >> reporter: few companies get so big their very name becomes a verb but ask any american which search engine they prefer, the answer is almost unanimous. >> google. >> google. >> google. >> i always go to google >> reporter: 90% of online searches are run by google. companies pay to place those ads that pop up at the top of your every search now the justice department says google is so dominant because of deals it struck to be the default search app on phones and computers, elbowing out wannabe competitors like yelp. >> i think what yelp is hoping for is just really the chance for a level playing field where we can compete on the merits. >> reporter: in a statement google says the lawsuit is deeply flawed "people use google because they choose to, not because they'

i'm lester holt. please continue to take care of yourself and each other xxxx >>> right now at 6:00, let's take it inside. that's what businesses across san mateo county are doing today. >> i'm very excited about it. i miss my community. >> the stern message the county is sending even as it allows businesses to open their doors. >>> plus, ballot conundrum. the election just days away and voters still concerned their ballots won't arrive at the registrar's office in time. >> i feel like it is safer to drop it on a place where you'll be counted. >> what election officials want you to know. >>> and then can we trust the polls? that's one of the big questions many are asking as we count down to "decision 2020". >>> the news at 6:00 starts right now. good wednesday. thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang. >> i'm jessica aguirre. raj mathai is also with us. >> did the pollsters get it wrong in 2016? not really. we're going to explain why. we're also going to tell you why they think joe biden has a much mor

lester >> that warning received dr. john torres, thank you. >>> now the covid crisis is cascading through college football with a growing number of games postponed and training facilities closed as players and a top coach test positive morgan chesky reports. >> reporter: tonight football caught in a covid-19 blitz players, coaches in both college and pros suddenly sidelined by coronavirus. >> at this point, i'm completely asymptomatic, feel fine. >> reporter: alabama head coach nick saban speaking out after testing positive. >> we are still doing everything possible to get ready for the georgia game >> reporter: the virus impact nationwide >> testing every day this week. >> reporter: 21 athletes on the florida gator football team testing positive. >> we don't think it's appropriate that we try to play the game this weekend >> reporter: when's the breaking point for entire conferences >> without complete total bubbling which is not practical for most of these football teams there's a great chance that every game that's s

. >> lester holt is next. we'll see you at 6:00. >>> tonight, the battleground blitz as we enter the final stretch of the 2020 race donald trump and joe biden back in the campaign trail hours after dueling town halls. the coronavirus taking center stage the president claiming the country is rounding the corner even as it tops 8 million cases. his refusal to denounce baseless conspiracy theories and biden at a separate event deflecting questions about packing the supreme court. the election now just 18 days away. >>> a growing coronavirus surge across the u.s. over 1 million new cases in just 3 weeks. at least 38 states seeing a rise. record hospitalizations in several of them. and the survivor who just left the hospital after nearly 200 days. >>> chris christie after his seven-day icu stay urging president trump to do more to encourage masks even as the president spreads more misinformation. >>> the horrific attack, a teacher brutally attacked near a school authorities investigating it as an act of terror. wha

. >>> 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 ind

. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. americans didn't get the face to face presidential debate they may have been looking for but last night's dueling town halls offered flash points in what ended up being a revealing split screen examination of donald trump and joe biden. the president whose abrupt withdrawal from the debate ultimately led to the separate network town halls nonetheless found himself challenged at nearly every turn. geoff bennett has details. >> reporter: two town halls as different as the candidates themselves president trump pressed by moderator savannah guthrie declining to denounce the qanon conspiracy theory >> i know nothing about qanon. >> i just told you. >> i know very little. you told me but what you tell me doesn't necessarily make it fact i hate to say that i know nothing about it. >> reporter: the fbi has dubbed qanon a domestic terrorism threat on coronavirus, the president refusing to directly answer whether he supports a disputed herd immunity approach >> do you support herd immunity as a

thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take of yourself and good night. ♪ ♪ turn down the lights ♪ turn down the bed ♪ turn down these voices ♪ inside my head ♪ lay down with me ♪ tell me no lies ♪ just hold me close ♪ don't patronize ♪ don't patronize me ♪ 'cause i can't make you love me ♪ ♪ if you don't ♪ you can't make your heart feel ♪ ♪ something it won't ♪ here in the dark ♪ in these final hours ♪ i will lay down my heart

"nbc nightly news" with lester holt >> good evening. i'm kate snow in for lester tonight when's hosting a town hall. president trump arrived back at the white house tonight and every moment was clearly orchestrated to send a messe. the president drawing criticism after this moment when he walked up to a balcony and then removed his mask. then shot a cam pane-style video that has just been released in which he thanked his doctors and said he learned so much about coronavirus telling americans don't let it dominate you, don't be afraid of it. the president also touted the unique medical treatment he received saying now i'm better we begin with hallie jackson at the white house for us hallie, a confident donald trump but there's a lot we don't know. >> reporter: that's right. the return to the white house sent a message but man not the one he wanted to the news that he is now out of the hospital overshadowed by that maskless moment already you're hearing concerning a the signal to americans. late tonight too the president released a video

essentially, they did lester. hitting the cross bar they did lester. hitting the crossbar for the visitors before wrapping things up. his team seventh premier league goal in two matches. lester only showed up they're capable of and this time. this is the per father took capable of and this time. this is the perfather took him capable of and this time. this is the per father took him to the top of the league. —— football. not even a consolation goalfor of the league. —— football. not even a consolation goal for the foxes, which sums up their day. arsenal beat sheffield united 2—1 at the emirates. the first goal from bukayo sako, then nicolas pepe here getting arsenal beat sheffield united 2—1 at the emirates. the first goal from bukayo sako, then nicolas pepe here getting the second for the gunners. blades manager chris wilder far from happy david luiz remained on the pitch after appearing to pull back ollie burke in the first half i've seen it, system managers have seen it, all of our substance in it. poet is unsure, has he. number and how

>> reporter: lester, i think the biden campaign is feeling confidence. they know the challenges for the president to try to change the trajectory of this race. they want biden to present himself as stable, steady and competent tonight. one biden adviser this evening circled a key figure for me, the number 12. that is the number of uninterrupted minutes joe biden, and donald trump, will get to use to speak tonight. they describe this as a gift where you have a direct line to tens of millions of americans to speak. trump has said they want biden to have that opportunity. they think he'll struggle with it. the biden people think he can build a relationship with the audience. they believe there are some unconvinced voters that want to hear from joe biden on issues like his plan for coronavirus, his plan to help rebuild the economy going forward. as for some of biden's vulnerabilities as it relates to hunter biden, this adviser tells me that sometimes your perceived vulnerability is actually a potential strength. that he should use that as an empathetic momen

. >> thank you, lester. appreciate it. [ applause ] >> we have a lot to talk about and i really want these folks to drive the conversation as much as we can, but i have to ask you about some of the things hallie mentioned there. the president discharged from the hospital today, flown aboard marine one back to the white house. at one point he climbs the stairs and he takes his mask off with other people who appeared to be somewhat nearby. did you see it? did you hear about it? what's your reaction, sir? >> i would hope that the president, having gone through what he went through -- and i'm glad he seems to be coming along pretty well -- would communicate the right lesson to the american people. masks matter. these masks matter. it matters. it saves lives. it prevents the spread of the disease. social distancing. instead of talking about [ inaudible ] 210,000 people have died. you have, you know, about a thousand people a day getting the coronavirus. 50,000 -- it's a great concern, i hope no one walks away wit

. >>> our lester holt is traveling across america meeting obama voters who went for trump in 2016 who will they go for this time >>> and a way to party and socially distant at their space bubble concerts. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> good to be with you i'm frances rivera we begin with a history-making storm that sweeps across the southeast. zeta slams into the louisiana coast. it's the strongest they've seen this year. it's the first time a state has been hit with five named storms in a single season new orleans was in the eye this time around. the mayor sayings one person died after being electrocuted by a downed wire. >>> zeta brought this dangerous storm surge to mississippi the storm surge threatened alabama and georgia as it pushes to the east. nearly a million power outages have been reported in its path so far meanwhile in oklahoma and north texas, more than 100,000 homes and businesses are without electricity after an early ice storm. officials say the power outages will not stop voters nbc meteorologist janessa webb joining us this mo

>> sure, lester. when a person is acting as a scholar, they may have different viewpoints than they have as a judge or a justice. certainly the first time around when amy coney barrett was considered to be on the 7th circuit court of appeals, she certainly said in defense of things she had written as a judge in an appellate court, an intermediate court, i don't have the ability to overturn supreme court precedent, it would be my duty to follow it. but the stakes are much higher when someone is up for the supreme court. there she does have the ability to overturn precedent. i think looking at all those things as a road map to how she might decide cases in the future becomes very relevant because of the unique incredible power that supreme court justices bar you. we look into that hearing room. it appears the hearing is over for today, judge barrett having delivered her opening statements, sworn in. the questions begin tomorrow. that will end our coverage for the confirmation of amy coney barrett. for c

lester? >> thank you. let's bring in our political director and moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. what are you looking for tonight, chuck? >> given the experience at the first debate, i think it's fair to say all eyes are on one individual and it is the president. he hijacked that first debate with his behavior, belligerent style and in some ways hinting to hijack the event tonight, wants a special guest, try to disrupt joe biden and i think that's the -- that's the unknown in all of this. i mean, i think if he -- people around him want to be respectable of the format, certainly a whole bunch of republicans that are sharing the ballot line with president trump want him to be a bit more respectful of the format. but that's the problem. none of us know what to expect based on what we saw in the first debate and if we see more of that that's not good for president trump. >> all right. chuck, thanks very much. our coverage of tonight's debate moderated by nbc's kristen welker begins 8:00