police open fire at a suspect trying to carjack a vehicle, striking a 1-year-old inside for the first time, the boy's mother speaking out the deadly explosion rocking a neighborhood a stockpile of fireworks igniting residents ordered to evacuate my exclusive with delta's ceo. what the airline is doing to try to win customers still anxious about flying and what flights might you need a vaccination passport for and the pickup dangling over a 100 foot gorge two people and two dogs trapped inside. the heroic rescue. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening, everyone, and welcome. as americans have lined up for covid shots, missing from the picture have been children the vaccine so far only approved for older teens and adults but there are exciting developments to report tonight. one of the three big vaccine makers, moderna, says it's starting a trial to vaccinate nearly 7,000 under the age of 12. in a moment, we'll hear from a mom who has signed her kids up for the trial and look at what it could ultimately mean for millions of other children but let me show you where we are right now. the number of americans receiving at least one vaccine dose now over 72 million. but take a look at hospitalizations, over 32,000 that's significantly more than the day before, and it's a number to be watched very closely as covid restrictions are being eased around the country. let's start our reporting now with tom costello >> reporter: it's a high priority for parents and children eager for normalcy in classrooms, playgrounds, and with grandparents now moderna's vaccine trial will include children aged 6 months to 12 years. in arizona, rachel guthrie has enrolled two of her three kids, 3-year-old ollie and 2-year-old charlotte. >> as a nurse, i think it's really important to do our part as a community to try and create a herd immunity, and that is why we've chosen as a family to go ahead with this opportunity for these children to be vaccinated at such an early time. >> reporter: dr. steve plimpton is one of the principal investigators. >> we want to make sure it's safe for the kids, no additional side effects that we don't anticipate, and also what doses are effective for those kids. >> reporter: just like adults, each child in the nih study will receive two shots with various doses, some with placebos, then monitored closely for a year moderna is already testing the vaccine in 12 to 17-year-olds pfizer and j&j also plan to test their vaccines in younger children but already kids 16 and older can get the pfizer shot. meanwhile, a dozen european countries are pausing the astrazeneca vaccine rollout after a small number of patients developed blood clots though european medical regulators report no evidence of a vaccine connection, and they've not seen more patients with blood clots than they typically see in the general population the uk and canada are standing by the vaccine as many researchers say pausing the rollout is unwarranted. >> by not immediately seeing whether this was a problem, they've scared people. and once you've scared people, it's hard to unscare them. >> reporter: though not yet approved in the u.s., experts say astrazeneca's vaccine is critical in the global fight against covid. tom costello, nbc news, washington >> reporter: i'm miguel almaguer. as our nation races to reopen, many americans are finding a new normal as states send mixed messages today wyoming eliminating its mask mandate while california's governor says residents should try to wear two. the cdc insists we all need to keep our distance >> no masks. it's like one big party on the strip. >> reporter: but tonight this is what spring break looks like in parts of florida and texas. >> i'm kind of immune to covid i haven't gotten it since covid has started. i've been out and about. >> reporter: with every state easing restrictions, when dodger stadium welcomes back fans, only 11,000 will fill the 56,000-seat venue. >> that was outstanding. >> reporter: canceled last year, before tip-off this year, march madness is already trying to rebound after a group of five individuals tested positive for the virus. also sidelined, legendary coach geno auriemma days after his second vaccination. >> you have no idea with this thing. >> reporter: now states like california and massachusetts are confirming the brazilian variant of the virus. but while europe is seeing a surge in cases, the worst may be behind us >> we're not seeing a big surge, and that's because we've got vaccines going out we're vaccinating at two, three times the rate of most european countries. >> reporter: tonight the u.s. is on firmer footing, but what happens next may be determined by what we do tomorrow. miguel almaguer, nbc news well, passing it was just the first part that $1.9 trillion covid relief package is now getting a hard sell this evening by president biden, who is also considering a big tax increase here's peter alexander. >> reporter: tonight the president as promoter, touting that massive covid relief package he championed with a visit to a black-owned small business outside philadelphia >> the hardest hit are people in the minority communities. that's why we're working so hard, they're making sure, we get the vaccine in places that are not ordinarily the focus. >> reporter: president biden's not the only one. his vice president and the first lady also touring the country. still republicans argue the nearly $2 trillion law balloons the deficit and that most of the money does not go toward pandemic relief now also taking aim at this new goal from president biden. >> by july the 4th, there's a good chance you, your families and friends will be able to get together in your backyard. >> reporter: but the cdc's current guidelines say vaccinated americans can already gather in small groups indoors without masks. >> it was advice for an alternative -- for an alternate universe. the president and his advisers may need to get out more. >> reporter: tonight two administration officials tell nbc news president biden is discussing a major tax increase to pay for part of his agenda as a candidate, he supported raising taxes on americans making more than $400,000 and on large corporations and after going a record 50-plus days without a news conference, the white house says president biden will hold his first one next thursday lester >> all right peter alexander tonight, thank you. the migrant surge at the southern border proving to be an early test for the new administration's immigration policies and leaving president biden wide open for criticism. authorities on pace to encounter more border crossers than in the last 20 years. garrett haake is in el paso with the story tonight. >> reporter: tonight the migrant surge at the border is growing. according to data obtained by nbc news, the border patrol is detaining a record 4,200 unaccompanied migrant children as of sunday a drastic jump of more than 1,000 in just a week of those, nearly 3,000 children have been held beyond the legal limit of 72 hours, all in jail-like facilities not designed for kids. this plea to migrants from the homeland security secretary. >> we are also and critically sending an important message that now is not the time to come to the border >> reporter: officials would not grant nbc news access to see the conditions in the border patrol facilities for ourselves. attorneys for some of the children told us kids as young as 1 sometimes go days without bathing, rarely see the sun, and the sound of crying is constant this guatemalan mother was recently reunited with her 4-year-old daughter in the u.s. she says the child crossed the border with her aunt, that officials separated the family, expelling the aunt and leaving the 4-year-old for days at a border patrol facility in texas. the mother, whose identity we are concealing because she is seeking asylum, speaking to nbc's dasha burns. >> can you tell me about your daughter? >> translator: she cries and is scared. but before she wasn't like that. she was very happy >> reporter: the border patrol says it can't comment on specific cases but that any child without a parent is considered unaccompanied and must be transferred to hhs without the adult relative meanwhile, republicans say president biden encouraged the migrant surge by reversing former president trump's restrictive border policies. >> it's getting worse because of president biden's policies what president trump was doing was working. >> reporter: tonight president biden says he has no immediate plans to visit the border his dhs secretary will appear before congress tomorrow where he's expected to face tough questions about the situation here lester. >> all right garrett haake along the border, thank you. in just 60 seconds, was there foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election? we have the new intel report to share. and the future of travel my exclusive interview with delta's ceo a stunning report tonight from u.s. intelligence agencies that russia tried to influence the 2020 presidential election to help former president trump. andrea mitchell is here andrea, what does the report say >> reporter: lester, tonight's report says russia's president putin authorized a range of operations to undermine public confidence in the 2020 elections not by hacking but by denigrating joe biden to try to re-elect former president trump. the report says russian proxies pushed unsubstantiated charges against biden to the u.s. media and to prominent people close to trump iran on the other hand tried to defeat trump, but contrary to repeated claims by top trump officials, china decided not to risk meddling in the campaign for either candidate. tonight the white house tells nbc's peter alexander there will be more action soon against russia. lester. >> all right andrea mitchell, thanks. in houston, a 1-year-old baby is recovering after being shot accidentally by a police officer tonight the boy's mother is speaking out to gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: in this surveillance video from earlier this month, houston police say the man running was an armed robbery suspect who then tried to carjack a woman pumping gas. officers opened fire, killing a suspect but also hit the woman's 1-year-old baby, who was in the back seat, in the head. he's seen here held by an undercover officer. >> my son has been fighting every day for his life, and he's struggling on his own to breathe by himself. >> reporter: daisha smalls says her baby, legend, is still in a pediatric icu and that doctors removed part of his skull to relieve the swelling >> my son didn't deserve this, and i don't want to leave my baby's side, like, at all. >> reporter: the police union tells nbc news the officer did not know the baby was in the car and took what he thought was a clear shot of the suspect, probably saving the woman's life >> they gave the suspect commands to drop the gun he refused. >> reporter: the boy's family is now calling on police body camera video of the incident to be released and is preparing to file a civil lawsuit. >> and when you shoot into the car, you put her life at risk. >> reporter: the houston officer has been with the department for almost 15 years he was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. lester. >> all right gabe gutierrez tonight, thank you. two people were killed in a massive explosion that rocked a neighborhood near los angeles when officials say a stockpile of fireworks ignited. at least one home erupted into flames and evacuation was ordered in the area. most of us have stayed close to home this past year, but as we saw in some of those spring break images a few minutes ago, that's changing there's pent-up travel demand just as the nation's airlines have been counting on and i talked about that with the ceo of delta airlines, who thinks things are finally looking up empty airports, fewer flights, grounded planes the pandemic has clobbered the airline industry, devastated by an estimated $35 billion in losses last year. but delta's ceo ed bastion is optimistic, and he may have good reason more than a million americans flew yesterday, and airports saw more traffic friday than they have in a year. we've seen people already rushing to beaches as some of the restrictions are lifting. how will that impact air travel >> as the case counts are coming down in meaningful levels as the vaccinations are starting to grow, people are ready to reclaim their lives. and we're seeing bookings pick up people are anticipating what their spring and summer plans are going to look like >> reporter: bastion says business travel, which is needed to fill the seats and make money, has dropped 80%, and he thinks it could take up to two years for that to recover as many businesses have discovered the benefits of virtual contact. up to two years for international flying too. and he anticipates some type of vaccine passport for overseas flights. >> internationally, that's probably going to be a requirement. >> let me ask you about the hesitant flyer. people have done a good job of locking down at home and are a little nervous about this idea of getting on a plane what's your broad message to those who say not yet? >> confidence is being restored but i do appreciate the anxiety as they get back out for the first time into the airports and in the skies. >> own though all it competitors have started selling middle seats, delta plans to continue blocking them through the end of april. >> once people continue to gain confidence in travel, we'll have no choice but to sell and give them the opportunity to sit in the middle seat but we're not ready to make that decision. >> and as states begin to drop mask mandates, the faa still requires them on all flights. delta has banned 1,200 customers for not wearing them do you think that masks will be as ubiquitous as put your seat in the upright position and put your seat belts on? >> i certainly don't think so once the virus is in a contained form, you're probably going to still see some customers wearing masks. but i hope once we're confident as a society that we've conquered this virus, that we'll be able to return to life as we knew it and that will include being able to fly safely on planes without having to wear masks. >> to reassure business travelers, delta has been bringing companies into airports to show them the lengths they are going to keep airplane cabins safe and clean. after four weeks, britain's 99-year-old prince philip went home from the hospital today. buckingham palace said philip was treated for an infection and had a successful procedure for a pre-existing condition. we'll take a short break. up next, what to know about rising mortgage rates. this is a no-nonsense message from three. small business insurance is usually so complicated, you need to be a lawyer to understand it. that's why three was created. it's a better kind of business insurance. it's only three pages. straightforward. if you own it, three covers it. got a cheese slice for "spokesperson?" that's me. i don't even need to see what's happening behind me to know it's covered. (screaming) this commercial is now over. logo. three. no nonsense. just common sense. if you're in the market for a new home, listen up. jo ling kent on why mortgage rates are rising >> reporter: after nearly a year of historically low mortgage rates, the cost of buying or refinancing a home is on the rise again. the interest rate on the average 30-year fixed jumped to 3.05%, moving up for the fourth week in a row the uptick is driven by more vaccines, optimism in the jobs market, and new stimulus checks on the way. but if you haven't already acted, is it too late >> absolutely not. if you look at the past 30 or 40 years, rates are still better than 99% of the time. >> when should you choose not to refinance? >> if you pay $3,000 as a refinancing fee and the refinance saves you $100 a month, that means it would take you 30 months to break even on that refinance. if you're not planning on staying in your house for that amount of time, then probably you should consider not refinancing. >> reporter: the best advice, use an online mortgage calculator to estimate what you might get. compare rates at three to five lenders. and add up those closing costs like insurance, taxes, and appraisal fees and remember everyone's situation is different the rate that you get depends on your income, your credit score, and how much of your home you've already paid off lester >> all right jo ling kent, thanks the covid battle is taking a major toll on the nation's pharmacists. vicky nguyen now with america under pressure. >> reporter: shane jerominski has been a pharmacist for 14 years. >> pharmacists are the bluest white-collar workers in america. >> reporter: but he says in addition to filling prescriptions, checking drug interactions and counseling patients, pharmacists now also answer phones, do health screenings, work drive-throughs, and give shots, including now the covid-19 vaccine >> we have pharmacists working 14, 15-hour shifts and so many of them are afraid to even come forwar because they know they can easily be replaced >> reporter: nbc news spoke with 31 retail pharmacists and technicians across 15 states all say pressures to be profitable have resulted in harried working conditions that can potentially affect patient safety. shane's wife, marilyn, is a pharmacy manager at a retail chain. >> i've done 14 covid vaccines since this morning. it's been a great first day. >> reporter: she began administering them in late february. >> i am the only pharmacist right now giving the vaccines. i have over 180 prescriptions that still need to be filled all we do is we just get yelled at. i'm exhausted. i'm tired. >> what's your biggest concern about the covid-19 vaccine coming to pharmacies like yours >> not having enough staff and it being administered properly. >> reporter: nbc news reached out to the two largest retail chains administering covid vaccines both say patient safety is a priority walgreens tells nbc news it's focused on hiring thousands of additional team members, adding it also provides immunization certification courses. cvs says it's doing everything possible to support its 100,000 health care professionals working in pharmacies, telling nbc that in most stores, there is a completely separate team dedicated to administering the vaccines a national survey found 91% of pharmacists at retail chains rated their workload as high or excessively high but it's difficult to quantify how that impacts patient care because there's no national mandate on reporting medication errors to regulators but pharmacists say even one error could mean life or death do you worry about putting your job on the line by speaking out? >> i feel like it's necessary because i have addressed so many concerns so many times, and i feel like it just goes on deaf ears. >> reporter: lester, pharmacists are pushing for national reform in the meantime, about a third of states have their own rules to limit work hours and mandate safe staffing levels lester. >> all right vicky nguyen tonight, thanks. up next, the rescue that's inspiring america. finally, let me show you the heroic effort to save those inside a pickup truck that plunged off a bridge in idaho. it was a harrowing scene in southern idaho. a pickup truck dangling from the side of a bridge above a narrow gorge 100 feet deep an idaho state trooper finding a man and woman inside with their two dogs nothing more than a single set of safety chains connected to a camper on the bridge above keeping them from plummeting into the canyon below >> it was a definite miracle that that chain held >> with lives literally hanging in the balance, the trooper and a sheriff's deputy sprang into action while a special operations rescue team deployed dropping in by chopper, the elite team of first responders rappelled down to the dangling truck using harnesses to hoist the couple to safety along with their two dogs >> obviously i feel very fortunate, very blessed that i was able to play a small part in it. >> the best thing is just having everybody go home safely >> the heroic rescue less a miracle and more a reflection of the training, teamwork, and dedication of those who serve. and we salute all of them tonight that's "nightly news" for this tuesday thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night right now at 6:00, moving into the orange tier and the timing is incredible for certain san mateo county businesses. we'll explain. plus, will there be a green tier and when will the rest of californians get their vaccine? governor newsom in the east bay today with the answer. she was the first public health official to shut things down in the country. >> remember that at that time we had so few tools available to protect the public. >> now we sit down with dr. sarah cody, the one way she says santa clara was faster to react during this pandemic. rolling up her sleeves to get others to do the same. >> that's important for people to realize that this is safe. >> san francisco's mayor gets the johnson & johnson vaccine. it's already having an impact. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good tuesday. thank you so much for joining us. i'm janelle wang. >> i'm raj mathai. on this one-year anniversary of the bay area lockdown, it's a big day moving forward. san mateo county getting the green light to loosen up covid restrictions. it becomes the first in the bay area to move into the orange tier since last fall. that means more businesses can reopen even further. take a look, the big changes, indoor dining at 50% capacity. bars can reopen again outdoors only. it all starts tomorrow being st