"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. they are just 14, but also experienced at sea. and that is giving hope to the families of two florida boys who are the object of a massive ocean search under way right now off the coast of florida. the boys went missing on friday after setting out alone on a fishing trip believed to be to the bahamas. their 19-foot boat was found capsized and adrift in a strong current yesterday, but there have been no signs of the boys. late this afternoon the coast guard provided an update on the expanding search. our kerry sanders reports now from jupiter, florida. >> just confirmed nobody is on board. >> reporter: in the desperate search for two missing teens, a discovery both grim and hopeful. their capsized boat. but no sign of 14-year-old perry cohen and his best friend, austin stephanos. >> it's terrifying to know that your child is out there without you and if they need help that you can't reach out your hand and give them the help that t

. >> i'm jim rosenfield the news continues now with nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> breaking news tonight. that mystery wreckage from a large airplane discovered washing ashore on an island in the indian ocean. sources tell nbc news it appears to be from a 777, the same kind of plane as the missing malaysia airlines flight 370. >>> a police officer charged with murder in a fatal traffic stop caught on camera. an unarmed driver shot in the head. stunning words today from the prosecutor. >> he purposely killed him. >> the officer's own body camera the evidence that contradicted his story. >>> tom brady fights back coming out swinging in a passionate defense against the nfl. and tonight what brady's agent just told us. >>> and a message from hiding. tonight from the american dentist who killed that beloved lion in africa. what he's saying as the outrage boils over. "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. it is one of the greatest mysteries of our time. the fate of malays

joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. >>> now to an nbc news exclusive that reveals more than anything we've ever seen, just how vulnerable we are in this country to cyber espionage. it shows that according to u.s. intelligence, china alone is responsible for attacks to almost 700 public and private targets in the u.s. in the last five years. we get more tonight from our justice correspondent, pete williams. >> reporter: as the u.s. scrambles to learn the extent of a massive theft of federal government personnel records said to have been stolen by china, nbc news has obtained a classified government report that shows the remarkably pervasive reach of chinese cyber spying nationwide. this national security agency map shows a red dot for every successful computer intrusion by china over the past five years. nearly 700 with computer attacks in every state but north dakota. the northeast corridor from washington to new york is a massive blob of red. and intrusions are clustered around california's silicon valley. the aerospace regions of the pacific northwest, and southern california's defense i

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, thomas roberts. >>> good evening. tonight new and graphic details about bill cosby's own admission concerning drugs, hush money and sexual assault allegations. in a now fully released deposition from a 2005 sexual assault lawsuit, he admits to dprooming women into sexual situations with promises of fame and career advice. cosby's tactics for his hollywood casting couch are described his own words as quote, playing sex with an alleged victim. cosby has vigorously denied all sexual assault allegations and has never been criminally charged. with more on the story, nbc's gaddy schwartz. >> reporter: in yet another round of explosive revelations, documents obtained by "the new york times" shed more light on cosby's own allegations about how he seduced women. the deposition taken over four days of intense questioning, part of a 2005 lawsuit against cosby filed by a woman who claimed she was drugged and molested by the entertainer. in the transcripts bill cosby defends h

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening and good luck to republican presidential contenders desperately trying to be heard above donald trump, who today again managed to provoke outrage and drive a lot of the discussion online by publicly revealing the personal phone number of opponent and senator lindsey graham. the stunt also managed to overshadow the entrance into the race today of ohio governor john kasich. trump remains atop the polls, and while some dismiss his success as short-lived and the direct result of media exposure others wonder whether his brash approach has simply hit home with a lot of voters. tonight more on trump, john kasich's big day and the state of the race. let's start with katy tur in south carolina. katy? >> reporter: lester the voters at these campaign stops tell me that they do not trust politicians, they don't trust the media, but they do trust donald trump because he is speaking bluntly to them. and they say he'll have no one to answer to espe

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." reporting tonight from washington. >> good evening. you may have thought you'd heard it all regarding the prison escape and manhunt involving two killers last month in new york. but it turns out there was a lot more. today as joyce mitchell, the prison worker who helped them bust out, appeared in court to plead guilty to her crimes. nbc news obtained the detailed, at times salacious and eye-opening statements she made to state police about the plot the supplies the weapons and the plan to kill her husband the night of the escape. nbc's john yang was in court today in upstate new york. >> reporter: with a tearful signature, joyce mitchell accepted a plea deal today, admitting she smuggled hacksaw blades, drill bits chisels, gloves, says glasses with lights and other tools into the prison for convicted killers richard matt and who, the d.a. says used them to escape. >> she's been very anxious, depressed, remorseful for what she did. >> reporter: before her arrest, mitchell spoke to inve

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. our top story, a horrific air crash. a collision between an air force fighter jet and a small private plane over the skies near charleston, south carolina. witnesses described parts including a jet engine falling down from the sky moments after hearing the sickening impact. both planes went down in pieces, somehow sparing lives and property below. but two lives were lost in the collision itself. nbc's tom costello has the latest. >> reporter: on the ground in south carolina all that's left of an air force f-16 after it collided with a single-engine cessna raining debris on the fields below. it happened about 11 miles north of charleston over moncks corner near the cooper river. witnesses reported the f-16 appeared to have struck the side of the cessna. the impact causing a massive fireball in the sky and ripping the fighter plane's engine off, sending it crashing to the ground, narrowly missing a mobile home. >> all we've seen is

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc world headquarters in new york this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> good evening. an hour-long press conference with president obama today over an issue no less weighty than iran and the nuclear bomb was suddenly overshadowed by a single question about another serious topic and an answer no one expected the president would publicly utter. the question wasrape accusation that's surround bill cosby. it was not the issue top of mind as the president went before reporters to pitch the historic nuclear deal with iran, but it's what a lot of people are talking about tonight. we of course are covering it all. but we want to start with nbc news national correspondent peter alexander and that question. >> i'll say this. >> reporter: it was a stunningly powerful statement, especially for a president who's made it his policy not to comment about ongoing legal matters. >> if you give a woman man for that matter without his or her knowledge a drug and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape. >> reporter: the president

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt," reporting tonight from los angeles. >>> good evening. how many times lately have we had to ask what on earth drives someone to open fire on and kill innocent strangers? sadly, we can add lafayette, louisiana to the long list of communities now left to struggle with that question. it was there that 59-year-old john houser may have taken some of the answers to his grave last night, killing himself right after he shot and killed two people and wounded nine others inside a crowded movie theater. but today details of houser's troubled mental history and the deep worries expressed by his family began to emerge, filling in at least some of the blanks. we begin our coverage with nbc national news correspondent miguel almaguer. >> reporter: this was the scramble to save lives. the victims carried away, nine injured, two dead. what began as a thursday night at the movies. >> it was just chaos everywhere. cop cars, sirens. >> reporter: 20 minutes into a comedy, horror. a lone gunman abruptly stood up and

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. they are just 14 but also experienced at sea, and that is giving hope to the families of two florida boys that are the mass object of a massive ocean search under way right now off the coast of florida. the boys went missing on friday after setting out alone on a fishing trip believed to be to the bahamas. their 19-foot boat was found capsized and adrift in a strong current yesterday, but there have been no signs of the boys. late this afternoon the coast guard provided an update on the expanding search. our kerry sanders reports now from jupiter, florida. >> just confirmed, nobody is on board. >> reporter: in the desperate search for two missing teens, a discovery both grim and hopeful. their capsized boat. but no sign of 14-year-old perry cohen and his best friend austin stephanos. >> it's terrifying to know that your child is out there without you and that if they need help that you can't reach out your hand and give them the hel

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. no backing down today by gop presidential contender donald trump whose unfiltered and blunt talk has again ignited controversy. the latest came over the weekend when trump said vietnam war veteran and former p.o.w. senator john mccain is not a war hero. and while the comments like those trump made about illegal immigration recently have sparked outrage, it is worth noting that he leads the latest republican presidential poll. though deeper examination suggests the mccain comments may be hurting him. we begin with nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: donald trump being donald trump today refusing to apologize for saying john mccain is not a war hero. telling matt lauer this morning -- >> well, i'm not a fan of john mccain. he's done a terrible job for the vets. i go around matt on the circuit, and i'm seeing so many vets. and i see families crying before me. >> reporter: this firestorm sparked saturday. >> he hit me -- he's not a war hero. >

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. they are just 14 but also experienced at sea. and that is giving hope to the families who are the object of a massive ocean search under way right now off the coast of florida. the boys went missing on friday after setting out alone on a fishing trip believed to be to the bahamas. their 19-foot boat was found capsized and adrift in a strong current yesterday, but there have been no signs of the boys. late this afternoon the coast guard provided an update on the expanding search. our kerry sanders reports now from jupiter, florida. >> just confirmed nobody is on board. >> reporter: in the desperate search for two missing teens, a discovery both grim and hopeful. their capsized boat. but no sign of 14-year-old perry cohen and his best friend austin stephanos. >> it's terrifying to know that your child is out there without you and if they need help that you can't reach out your hand and give them the help that they need. >> reporter: t

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. we begin here with another one of those stories that reminds us isis is determined to inspire a terror attack on our soil. this one comes from massachusetts. a young man busted by the feds. they say he was inspired by isis and was hatching a plot to explode bombs in college cafeterias. in this case the suspect was already on authorities' radar. it turns out his father, a police captain, sounded the alarm and turned him in. our ron mott has details. >> reporter: federal officials in boston announced the arrest of 23-year-old alexander ciccolo, the son of boston police captain robert ciccolo. a police source told nbc news captain ciccolo reported his son to the fbi after learning he was allegedly plotting an isis-inspired attack. according to court documents, ciccolo goes by the name ali al amriki and was arrested july 4th after receiving four guns from an undercover agent and buying a pressure cooker. the government says ciccolo wa

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening and good luck to republican presidential contenders desperately trying to be heard above donald trump, who today again managed to provoke outrage and drive a lot of the discussion online by publicly revealing the personal phone number of opponent and senator lindsey graham. the stunt also managed to overshadow the entrance into the race today by ohio governor john kasich. trump remains atop the polls, and while some dismiss his success as short-lived and the direct result of media exposure, others wonder whether his brash approach has simply hit home with a lot of voters. tonight more on trump, john kasich's big day, and the state of the race. let's start with katy tur in south carolina. katy? >> reporter: lester, the voters at these campaign stops tell me that they do not trust politicians, they don't trust the media, but they do trust donald trump because he is speaking bluntly to them. and they say he'll have no one to answer to

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. the likelihood that heads will roll in the wake of that new york prison breakout grew today as word came down that 12 prison employees including the superintendent have been placed on leave. the clinton correctional facility is the subject of a top-to-bottom investigation of how two killers managed to bust out. some of the answers, however, are coming straight from the surviving escapee himself. david sweat is said to be spilling everything, including the fact that this was not the first time they'd made it outside the prison. national correspondent miguel almaguer is on the story for us tonight. >> reporter: tonight the prison top boss, his deputy and ten other employees are suspended from clinton correctional after the brazen escape here. superintendent steve racette was the man who led governor cuomo on a tour of how the convicts broke free. >> how did they do that? >> chiseled the box out. >> reporter: this as federal authorit

nbc news has edited it in part. cell phone video shot by a bystander shows bland on the ground. >> i'm infuriated and everybody else should be infuriated as well. >> reporter: after watching the video sharon cooper said she understands why her sister was upset. >> when you tell me you're going to light me up, i feel extremely threatened and concerned. >> reporter: cooper urged supporters to keep using social media. overnight twitter blew up when "selma" director ava duvernay tweeted "i edit footage for a living but anyone can see that this official video has been cut." seeing moments like this where a car disappears. this morning texas officials said they weren't edits but they were technical glitches, and reposted it. we watched it with houston defense attorney rusty hardin, who's a former prosecutor. he said it's legal for the trooper to ask bland to get out of the car or put out her cigarette but he should have tried to calm her down. >> a lot of things law enforcement will tell you they could have done. ma'am, i

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc world headquarters in new york this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> good evening. an hour-long press conference with president obama today over an issue no less weighty than iran and the nuclear bomb was suddenly overshadowed by a single question about another serious topic and an answer no one expected the president would publicly utter. the question was related to the rape accusations that surround bill cosby. it was not the issue top of mind as the president went before reporters to pitch the historic nuclear deal with iran, but it's what a lot of people are talking about tonight. we of course are covering it all. but we want to start with nbc news national correspondent peter alexander and that question. >> i'll say this. >> reporter: it was a stunningly powerful statement, especially for a president who's made it his policy not to comment about ongoing legal matters. >> if you give a woman or a man for that matter without his or her knowledge a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape. >> re

harry smith, nbc news new york. >> friends to the end. that's going to do it for us on this wednesday. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. >>> jenner's big night at the espy awards. did she really hire an je lee that's stylist? >>> the big moment at the espy awards. >>> and lost video, kim and bruce the last time they came together. >> now they're asking me together. >> and cracking jokes and all new scenes from her tv series. >> now i know why girls need a sports bra. >> and kendall shocks again a daring top. >> chris brown's home invasion. >> his aunt locked inside the closet as intruders bust in. were they members of brown's own entourage. >> and unleashing a dog on the bow ties. >> plus is this ben the next bachelor. >> do you want to be the bachelor or not? >> and amy schumer's world domination tour continues. >> now on

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt," reporting tonight from washington. >>> good evening. you may have thought you'd heard it all regarding the prison escape and manhunt involving two killers last month in new york but it turns out there was a lot more. today as joyce mitchell the prison worker who helped them bust out, appeared in court to plead guilty to her crimes nbc news obtained a detailed at times salacious and eye-opening statement she made to state police about the plot the supplies the weapons, and the plan to kill her husband the night of the escape. nbc's john yang was in court today in upstate new york. >> reporter: with a tearful signature joyce mitchell accepted a plea deal today, admitting she smuggled hack saw blades drill bits chills padded gloves glasses with lights and other tools into the prison for convicted killers richard matt and david sweat who, the d.a. says used them to escape. >> she's been very anxious, very depressed, very remorseful for what she did. >> reporter: before her arrest mitchell spoke to

for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. >>> nbc bay area news begins with breaking news. >> breaking news happening right now in sacramento where crews are battling two fires just miles apart. good evening. thank you for joining us. >> let's take you outside and show you the live picture. you're seeing that big, thick, white plume of smoke seen from miles. it is coming from a raging fire at a dump that is in sacramento. the dump is south of sacramento state. now, earlier we could see flames shooting into the air as firefighters battled the fire. they're also dealing with another blaze just south of the dump, that one is a brushfire that broke out on a field on the edge of a neighborhood east of highway 99. you can see in that fire the flames were moving fast. at one point, that fire burned through a fence and right up against the home. but this big flumplume of smoke coming from a dump fire south of sacramento state. >>> happening right now in the south bay, firefighters are mopping up after this brushfire in gilroy. it broke out before 5:00 on monterey roa

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, thomas roberts. >>> good evening. tonight new and graphic details about bill cosby's own admission concerning drugs, hush money and sexual assault allegations. in a now fully released deposition from a 2005 sexual assault lawsuit, he admits to grooming women into sexual situations with promises of fame and career advice. cosby's tactics for his hollywood casting couch are described in his own words as, quote, playing sex with an alleged victim. cosby has vigorously denied all sexual assault allegations and has never been criminally charged. with more on the story, nbc's gadi schwartz. >> reporter: in yet another round of explosive revelations, documents obtained by "the new york times" shed more light on bill cosby's own admissions about how he seduced women. the deposition taken over four days of intense questioning, part of a 2005 lawsuit against cosby filed by a woman who claimed she was drugged and molested by the entertainer. in the transcripts bill cosby def

rehema ellis, nbc news roslyn new york. >> absolutely priceless. that's going to do it for us on a wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. . >> she is staying alive in her own way. so is suddenly single scott. i'm billy bush and what just brought ben and jen together again? >> what's

nbc news has edited it in part. cell phone video shot by a bystander shows bland on the ground. >> i'm infuriated and everybody else should be infuriated as well. >> reporter: after watching the video sharon cooper said she understands why her sister was upset. >> when you tell me you're going to light me up i feel extremely threatened and concerned. >> reporter: cooper urged supporters to keep using social media. overnight twitter blew up when director ava duvernay tweeted "i edit footage for a living but anyone can see this official video has been cut." seeing footage like this where a car disappears. this morning texas officials say they weren't et cetera they were technical glitches, and reposted it. we watched it with houston defense attorney rusty hardin who's a former prosecutor. he said it's legal for the trooper to ask bland to get out of the car or put out her cigarette but he should have tried to calm her down. >> a lot of things law enforcement could have done. ma'am, i'm just going to give you a warning

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. it is one of the greatest mysteries of our time. the fate of malaysia air flight 370 and the 239 people on board. tonight many are holding their breath, wondering if it's finally on the verge of being solved. video and photos of a large piece of plane wreckage found on a remote island in the indian ocean are carefully being scrutinized. we should tell you from the start not all the experts agree. investigators believe the debris in the images is consistent with a boeing 777. the same as the missing malaysia airlines jet. nbc's tom costello has been working the story all day. what do we know right now? >> reporter: lots of phone calls. and sources now tell nbc news that boeing investigators have looked at the photo and they believe it is in fact a piece of a wing. perhaps a flap from a boeing 777. there's only one boeing 777 that's missing in the world right now. that is malaysia flight 370, missing since march of 2014. it's a huge

"nightly news" begins now. . >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester hold. >>> good evening. i'm tamron hall in for lester. it is the last thing many of us want to think about happening on america's birthday. the potential for an isis-inspired attack in the u.s. as millions of americans prepare to gather for back yard barbecues, spirited parades, and awe-inspiring fireworks, law enforcement is at the ready from coast to coast while overseas u.s. embassies and diplomatic posts have called in their emergency action committees to assess the threat, not an unusual step but one that takes on new importance following a recent wave of deadly attacks across the globe. we start tonight with national correspondent peter alexander and a world on high alert. >> reporter: across britain today a moment of silence. fans pausing at wimbledon, the queen bowing her head. the uk remembering 30 of its citizens killed a week ago, where an isis-inspired gunman attacked this tunisian beach. concerns growing here in the u.s. >> lone wolf is our worst

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: "from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. first the deal now the sell. with today's historic agreement to curb iran's nuclear program the obama white house tonight is trying to convince nervous mideast neighbors and the american congress that there is no better alternative. the u.s. and five other nations struck the deal with iran overnight, offering iran relief from economic sanctions in exchange for limits on nuclear production. but questions over compliance and verification along with iran's history of provoking instability in the middle east are planting seeds of doubt in high places. we have full coverage tonight. we begin with our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell from vienna. andrea? >> reporter: good evening, lester. well after years and decades in fact of calling each other the great satan and the axis of evil iran and the u.s. are now entering uncharted territory. a diplomatic agreement to reduce iran's suspected nuclear threat. john kerry and h

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> good evening. we begin with another one of those stories that shows ice sis determined to inspire a terror attack on our soil. this one comes from massachusetts. a young man busted by the feds. they say he was inspired by isis and was hatching a plot to explode bombs in college cafeterias. in this case the suspect was already on authorities' radar. it turns out his father a police captain, sounded the alarm and turned him in. our ron mott has details. >> reporter: federal officials in boston announced the arrest of 23-year-old alexander chacolo, the son of boston police captain robert ciccolo. a source told nbc news ciccolo reported his son to the fbi after learning he was allegedly plotting an isis-inspired attack. according to court documents ciccolo goes by the name ali al amriki and was arrested july 4th after receiving four guns from an undercover agent and buying a pressure cooker. the government says ciccolo was under investigation since last

"nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, thomas roberts. >>> good evening. we start tonight with donald trump. gop presidential contenders latest remarks in iowa about senator john mccain's military record landed trump in the political crosshairs. he said mccain is not a war hero. so far trump operates with a no apology, no guts, no glory approach. he announced his presidential ambitions with what some consider incendiary rhetoric on immigration. that blunt style now has the billionaire business polls the front-runner. will insulting john mccain's vietnam record help or hurt trump? we're covering this tonight with nbc's kelly o'donnell on the campaign trail and chuck todd in washington, d.c. we begin in ames, iowa. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, thomas. this is a day-long event of about 3,000 conservatives who are hearing from 10 of the presidential candidates. then something unexpected and outrageous flew out of the mouth of donald trump. now the whole gop race is feeling the turmoil. >

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. no backing down today by gop presidential contender donald trump whose unfiltered and blunt talk has again ignited controversy. the latest came over the weekend when trump said vietnam war veteran and former p.o.w. senator john mccain is not a war hero. and while the comments like those trump made about illegal immigration recently have sparked outrage it is worth noting that he leads the latest republican presidential poll though deeper examination suggests the mccain comments may be hurting him. we begin with nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: donald trump being donald trump today, refusing to apologize for saying john mccain is not a war hero. telling matt lauer this morning -- >> well i'm not a fan of john mccain. he's done a terrible job for the vets. i go around matt on the circuit, and i'm seeing so many vets and i see families crying before me. >> reporter: this firestorm sparked saturday. >> he hit me -- he's not a war hero. >> h

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, kate snow. >>> good evening. in a crowded republican field and with a long way to go, one man is showing a lot of strength in the polls no matter how inflammatory his rhetoric may be. two new nbc news/marist polls out today show donald trump running strong in the early nominating states. the poll conducted over a period when trump made those controversial comments about senator john mccain. in new hampshire, trump leads the pack. and in iowa, trump places a close second in our poll. in the democratic race, hillary clinton continues to lead big in iowa, but her margin over bernie sanders is smaller in new hampshire and tighter than it was just five months ago when clinton led sanders by 56 points. clinton spent the day in iowa, and that's where we find kristen welker tonight. kristen? >> reporter: kate, good evening. a lot of people thought donald trump had sunk his chances when he criticized senator john mccain's service last week. that doesn't seem to be the

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, kate snow. >>> good evening. in a crowded republican field and with a long way to go one man is showing a lot of strength in the polls no matter how inflammatory his rhetoric may be. two new nbc news/marist polls out today show donald trump running strong in the early nominating states. the poll conducted over a period when trump made those controversial comments about senator john mccain. in new hampshire, trump leads the pack. and in iowa trump places a close second in our poll. in the democratic race hillary clinton continues to lead big in iowa but her margin over bernie sanders is smaller in new hampshire and tighter than it was just five months ago when clinton led sanders by 56 points. clinton spent the day in iowa and that's where we find kristen welker tonight. kristen? >> reporter: kate good evening. a lot of people thought donald trump had sunk his chances when he criticized senator john mccain's service last week. that doesn't seem to be the case

nbc news has edited it in part. cell phone video shot by a bystander shows bland on the ground. >> i'm infuriated and everybody else should be infuriated as well. >> reporter: after watching the video sharon cooper said she understands why her sister was upset. >> when you tell me you're going to light me up i feel extremely threatened and concerned. >> reporter: cooper urged supporters to keep using social media. overnight twitter blew up when "selma" director ava duvernay tweeted "i edit footage for a living but anyone can see that this official video has been cut." seeing moments like this where a car disappears. this morning texas officials said they weren't et cetera they were technical glitches, and reposted it. we watched it with houston defense attorney rusty hardin who's a former prosecutor. he said it's legal for the trooper to ask bland to get out of the car or put out her cigarette but he should have tried to calm her down. >> a lot of things law enforcement will tell you they could have done. ma'am, i'm

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. our top story, a horrific air crash, a collision between an air force fighter jet and a small private plane over the skies near charleston south carolina. witnesses described parts, including a jet engine engine falling down trt sky moments after hearing the sickening impact. both planes went down in pieces somehow sparing lives and property below. but two lives were lost in the collision itself. nbc's tom costello has the latest. >> reporter: on the ground in south carolina all that's left of an air force f-16 after it collided with a single-engine cessna raining debris on the fields below. it happened about 11 miles north of charles-tone over monc k's corner near the cuppa river. witnesses report the f-16 appeared to have struck the side of the cessna. the impact causing a massive fireball in the sky and ripping the fighter plane's engine off sending it crashing to the ground narrowly missing a mobile home. >> all we seen is two p

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. we begin here with another one of those stories that reminds us isis is determined to inspire a terror attack on our soil. this one comes from massachusetts. a young man busted by the feds. they say he was inspired by isis and was hatching a plot to explode bombs in college cafeterias. in this case the suspect was already on authorities' radar. it turns out his father a police captain, sounded the alarm and turned him in. our ron mott has details. >> reporter: federal officials in boston announced the arrest of 23-year-old alexander ciccolo the son of boston police captain robert ciccolo ciccolo. a police source told nbc news captain ciccolo reported his son to the fbi after learning he was allegedly plotting an isis-inspired attack. according to court documents, ciccolo goes by the name ali al amriki and was arrested july 4th after receiving four guns from an undercover agent. the government says sick oel o. was under investigation

rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. >> count me in the zion fan club. that's going to do it for us on this friday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. >>> hours before bobbi kristina's funeral a new family war breaks out. >> who is threatening to boycott tomorrow's service now on "extra." >>> bobbi kristina's family at each other's throats from the money to the bizarre plan for the memorial. why cops are on the scene. and -- >> nick gordon may crash. >> ben affleck goes into hiding. did did the nanny really dump her fiancee right before ben and jen's split. >>> break egg couples news. taylor swift man calvin harris in l.a. the new engagement clues today. >>> new video, kim kardashian teaching caitlyn,000 talk like a woman. plus a week of jenner fashion. "extra" and instyle magazine break down caitlyn's winning looks. >> her look was very reminiscent of angelina >> mi-5 hitting theaters today but first tom has to pass our pop quiz. >> love at first sight. >> now on "extra" from universal studios hollyw

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"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. today in the shadow of the south carolina state house it took an honor guard just 36 seconds to lower a symbol that has divided this nation for a century and a half. the applause was thunderous and sustained. look at the crowd. after 54 years the confederate battle flag was brought down from the site for the very last time. it was a swift and dramatic turn in history. born of the racist murders of nine members of a black church in charleston less than a month ago by a man who embraced that flag. tonight we have two reports. ron allen starts us off from columbia. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. all that remains of the confederate flag here now is the concrete slab behind that monument on the ground that the flag pole used to stand in. a flag that for more than 50 years as one editorial writer put it signaled to about a third of the state's population the black population, that they did not matter and that there

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. i'm tamron hall in for lester. it is the last thing many of us want to think about happening on america's birthday. the potential for an isis-inspired attack in the u.s. as millions of americans prepare to gather for back yard barbecues, spirited parades, and awe-inspiring fireworks, law enforcement is at the ready from coast to coast while overseas u.s. embassies and diplomatic posts have called in their emergency action committees to assess the threats, not an unusual step but one that takes on new importance following a recent wave of deadly attacks across the globe. we start tonight with national correspondent peter alexander and a world on high alert. >> reporter: across britain today a moment of silence. fans pausing at wimbledon. the queen bowing her head. the uk remembering 30 of its citizens killed a week ago where an isis-inspired gunman attacked this tunszisian beach. concerns growing here in the u.s. >> lone wolf is our worst night

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, kate snow. >>> good evening. we're learning much more tonight about the man who stood up in a movie theater on thursday night in louisiana and opened fire, killing two people, injuring nine others. the family of john rusty houser describes a history of mental illness. in 2008, they had him committed to a hospital against his will. and yet last year, houser was able to legally purchase a gun in alabama. it's the latest mass shooting to raise questions about potential cracks in the federal background check system. we begin tonight with nbc's gabe gutierrez in lafayette, louisiana. gabe, good evening. >> reporter: kate, good evening. one of the biggest questions right now is why here? the gunman had no ties to the community. only his uncle died here three decades ago. investigators say he was a drifter, and they are now digging deep into his past. today newly released dispatch recordings of first responders racing to the movie theater. >> need you up to the gran

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. our country appears to have once again been struck by an act of terrorism. the question tonight, from w four u.s. marines are dead, gunned down by a lone shooter during attacks on two u.s. military facilities seven miles apart in tennessee. the gunman identified by authorities as mohammod youssuf abdulazeez was also killed. the motive for the attacks unknown. the justice department only saying this is being investigated as an act of domestic terror. let's get right to gabe gutierrez who leads our coverage from chattanooga, good evening. >> reporter: the fbi is on the scene taking the lead in this investigation. this is the building where the gunfire started and amazingly, everyone inside survived. just a few miles away, the violence turned deadly. terrifying moments today in chattanooga. >> there is a mass casualty incident. >> reporter: as a hail of bullets tore through two military centers. this woman heard it all unfold. >> as soon as i tur

harry smith, nbc news, new york. >> that will do it for us on this thursday night. i'm lester holt, for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. resident in: 23:03 i looked up there and suddenly fire right over the ridge ... runs ==jess/vo== forced out of >>> i looked up there and just fire right over the ridge. >> forced out of their homes because of a wildfire. people watch and wait as firefighters rush to save their homes. what they now need to gain the upper hand. >>> good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. day two of this stubborn fire. not just napa county but solano and yolo counties also in the fire line. it's devouring brush and trees, but so far homes have been spared. now, it's a rural and rugged area making this difficult to access. the steep hills south and east of lake berryessa. the communities of golden bear states and quail ridge have been evacuated. nbc bay area meteorologist rob mayeda is with us and tracking the wind but let's begin with mark matthews who's been on the fire lines th

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. it was an act of terror but with no clear motive. remarkably, a day after a young kuwaiti-american man shot up a pair of military sites in tennessee investigators have yet to uncover the telltale pieces you would normally expect to find, answering the question why. it was confirmed today that police fatally shot mohammad abdulazeez but not before he had taken the lives of four u.s. marines. most of them we also learned today were war veterans. the question tonight is if he believed strongly enough to kill why didn't he leave behind an explanation? our team has been working the story all day. we want to start with kate snow. kate, good evening. >> lester, good evening. the fbi this evening saying they have tracked down 70 leads and though so far there is no evidence to suggest that isis directed or inspired these attacks they are investigating the crime as an act of terrorism. u.s. officials telling nbc news that the suspect spent much of last

"nightly news" begins now. >> this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, peter alexander. >> good evening. he is being called the most dangerous cartel leader in the world, head of a notorious mexican drug operation, responsible for the majority of drugs smuggled into this country. and for the second time he just staged a spectacular escape from prison. tonight an international manhunt is under way for joaquin guzman, nicknamed el chapo. one american city today named him public enemy number one. as a former u.s. drug enforcement official put it bluntly today, if guzman isn't caught within 48 hours, we may never find him again. the latest on the hunt tonight from nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: when joaquin guzman, the notorious kingpin known as el chapo, was arrested in february of last year after a 13-year manhunt, mexican authorities bragged they would crack down hard on major drug traffickers, and promised he would never escape from their maximum security prison. but last night he did escape in a daring, highly sophisticated scheme in

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt," reporting tonight from los angeles. >>> good evening. how many times lately have we had to ask what on earth drives someone to open fire on and kill innocent strangers? sadly, we can add lafayette, louisiana to the long list of communities now left to struggle with that question. it was there that 59-year-old john houser may have taken some of the answers to his grave last night, killing himself right after he shot and killed two people and wounded nine others inside a crowded movie theater. but today details of houser's troubled mental history and the deep worries expressed by his family began to emerge filling in at least some of the blanks. we begin our coverage with nbc national news correspondent miguel almaguer. >> reporter: this was the scramble to save lives. the victims carried away nine injured, two dead. what began as a thursday night at the movies. >> it was just chaos everywhere. cars sirens. >> reporter: 20 minutes into a comedy horror. a lone gunman abruptly stood up and opened f

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. one question answered to raise so many more in the disappointearance of flight 370. the aircraft piece found on an indian ocean island beach could have come from a boeing 777 removing virtually any doubt after a year and a half, the first tangible piece of aviation's biggest puzzle has been found. our team is on the island tonight and here is exactly what experts saw that told them what they needed to know but what about the rest of the plane, the black boxes? and the passengers and crew. let's begin our coverage from reunion island with bill neely bill? >> reporter: good evening, lester, from an island 4,000 miles from where mh 370 is thought to have crashed but this coast has given investigators perhaps the biggest clue yet, more than 500 days into this mystery. the eye's of the aviation world are focused on this debris that investigators are convinced is the aircraft wing, which aircraft isn't clear yet. they now believe a part

"nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. when's the last time you took a flight with an empty seat next to you? that unoccupied seat is of course a rare sight these days. and we learned today the u.s. justice department has taken notice of all those full airplanes and is starting to get suspicious. the question they're asking is in a shrinking airline industry are some airline competitors actually quietly working together to make sure we all pay higher ticket prices? nbc's tom costello covers aviation. he has more on the government's investigation. >> reporter: tonight the justice department is looking into whether some airlines have been colluding, agreeing among themselves to limit their seat capacity in order to maintain ticket prices and profits. the d.o.j. telling nbc news "we are investigating possible unlawful coordination by some airlines." investigative sources say they're looking at how often airline executives have publicly used the word "discipline." veteran fare watcher

"nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. our top story, a horrific air crash. a collision between an air force fighter jet and a small private plane over the skies near charleston south carolina. witnesses described parts including a jet engine falling down from the sky moments after hearing the sickening impact. both planes went down in pieces somehow sparing lives and property below. but two lives were lost in the collision itself. nbc's tom costello has the latest. >> reporter: on the ground in south carolina all that's left of an air force f-16 after it collided with a single-engine cessna raining debris on the fields below. it happened about 11 miles north of charleston over moncks corner near the cooper river. witnesses reporteded the f-16 appeared to have struck the side of the cessna. the impact causing a massive fireball in the sky and ripping the fighter plane's engine off, sending it crashing to the ground narrowly missing a mobile home. >> all we've seen is two p

"nightly news" begins now. >> from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news". reporting tonight, erica hill. >>> good evening on this independence day. as americans across the country celebrate the nation's 239th birthday authorities are focused on an unseen threat one that had them all on heightened alert. while there is added security around the holidays may feel like your new normal it is raising concern. we begin with a look at how cities across the country are responding. nbc's ron mott starts us off. good evening. >> reporter: erica, good evening. especially in the larger cities security is tight, high-tech. they are deploys radiation and detection equipment, for example. officials tell nbc news, a lot of enhanced security will not be visible. around america this fourth of july authorities are on heightened alert. added fire power from new york to boston to maintain street. barricades and check points at the national mall. in the country's largest city a never-ending terror target 7,000 police on patrol. >> we have not any specific information at this ti