Print to the election. The u. S. Adding more than 250,000 new jobs in september, blowing past expectations. It comes as Dock Workers return to work, averting a potential economic disaster. But with the election just over four weeks away, our american consumers are feeling a difference. Also tonight, eight days after Helene Hit the hopes fading for Finding Hundreds still unaccounted for as deaths soar to more than 220. The race for the White House. Donald trump visiting the Storm Zone in georgia as the White House slams claims hes made about Fema Relief Money going to migrants as, quote, baldfaced lies. Kamala harris meantime revealing former President Obama will hit the trail for her next week. And mr. Trump set to return to the same site in butler, pennsylvania, where he was nearly assassinated in july. How the Secret Service is tightening security. Irans supreme leader making a new threat as israel prepares to mark one year since the October 7th terror attack. And art in the aftermath. Ashvilles Creative Community coming together after helene. Plus, the massive gift from Dolly Parton. Announcer this is Nbc Nightly News with lester holt. Good evening. There is welcome News Today about the american economy. New numbers showing jobs up, unemployment lower and wages higher. The new Labor Department data for the month of september coming directly on the heels of a shortlived Dock Workers strike that could have crippled the Supply Chain had it become a lengthy stoppage. By the numbers, last month saw the workplace at 254,000 new jobs, lowering the unplacement Rate A Tick to just 4. 1 while wages increased by 4 from a year ago. The positive new numbers coming with Election Day just about a month away. And a rare appearance in the white House Press Briefing room by President Biden who declared weve gone from an economy in crisis to literally having the strongest economy in the world. It is where we start tonight with senior Business Correspondent Christine romans. My name is joe biden. Reporter the president with a rare visit to the White HouseBriefing Room to hail good news on the economy. The nations now created 16 Million jobs since ive come into office. Reporter 254,000 of them added in september. The Unemployment Rate of 4. 1 near a 50year low. Wages rose 4 over the past year, meaning paychecks are growing faster than overall inflation, and the dow closed today at a record high. Weve gone from an economy in crisis to literally having the strongest economy in the world. But weve got weve got more work to do. Reporter more work because many americans feel like theyre struggling to make ends meet with rising prices of groceries, Housing And Child care. It feels like it is harder to live. Everybodys scratching and scraping just to live. Reporter still, some say theyre finally starting to feel a difference. I feel like it is it is getting better. Reporter and one of the biggest risks to the economy, the Port Strike, has been resolved for now. Shippers and Dock Workers agreed to an almost 62 pay raise, bringing long shoremen back on the job, at least until january when they agreed to bargain over automation, ending the Port Strike critical for the economy and small businesslike three moms organics. This is such a relief knowing that this has been worked out for at least now takes a lot of pressure off, especially going into the holiday season. Reporter the timing also key as the southeast picks up the pieces after Hurricane Helene and will need significant rebuilding. Christine, i know you and others are watching rising Oil Prices because of what has happened in the mid east. How does that affect the overall picture . Oil prices jumped this week as the conflict in the middle east escalated, and it is a reminder there are big risks to the u. S. Economy from outside the u. S. Christine romans, thank you. One week after the Flooding Disaster caused by Hurricane Helene, at least 223 people are now reported dead with many still missing. Sam brock is in North Carolina with the latest tonight. Reporter in the early morning hours, helicopters are already hovering over homes. And private shoppers whisking away supplies to the mountains. The sounds of a frantic search for survivors a week after helene made landfall. Surreal. Apocalyptic. It is like constantly, and the sirens back and forth. Reporter official fatalities standing at more than 220 for six states, and in battered Buncombe County alone 70. There are discrepancies over the missing figure which was couched last night. It is a Communication Gap thats not necessarily accounted for. Reporter communication in multiple ways. For one, Cell Service is compromised. Trying to communicate with my coworkers was really hard. Reporter and for another, this Church Group Packing supplies is full of members who arent fluent in english. They say theyre relying on their own Text Network and door knocking system apart from the counties. Reporter you have your method of confirmation and they have theirs and theres not an overlap. Reporter as the real number of missing remains anyones guess. Jamison tabelon, a church leader, hands out supplies to those who need them the most. Here we are not looking at race, color, you know, gender at all, religion, nothing, you know. We are all in this together. Reporter you are just trying to help People In Need . We are just trying to help People In Need, exactly. Reporter the other reality coming to life that the vast majority of businesses and homeowners here like jodie and Steve Dunning have no flood insurance. Reporter there wasnt a reason to think in this framework . Theres no reason for the mountains to have floods. We have never had this before. Reporter a new dimension of a flood catastrophe. County officials say the river should be treated as hazardous materials. Theyre warning residents with no Running Water not to bathe in toxic river water. Lester. Sam brock, thank you. The federal response to this Storm Disaster is becoming an issue in the president ial campaign with a new claim by Formerpresident Trump facing strong pushback from the White House. Garrett haake has more. Reporter tonight Formerpresident Trump back in the Storm Zone in mustwin georgia, alongside republican governor brian kemp, a sometimestrump critic now backing the former president. Im not thinking about voters right now. Im thinking about lives. A lot of lives lost, a lot of people missing. Reporter trump also facing new criticism for this false attack on the administrations hurricane response. The harrisbiden administration says they dont have any money. They stole the Fema Money just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to their illegal immigrants. Reporter the White House slamming that as a lie. It just is categorically false. It is not true. It is a false statement. Reporter in the last two years fema has distributed over 1 Billion in Taxpayer Money to shelter the record numbers of migrants in cities across the u. S. , but the white House And Fema say thats from a separate government program, not for disaster relief, and theres no evidence funds have been diverted. Folks. Reporter Today President Biden praising Vice President harriss role handling crises this week including the Storm Response and the nowresolved Port Strike. Im in constant contact with her. She is aware, were singing from the same song sheet. She was a major player in Everything Weve done. Reporter it comes as tonight Harris Campaigned in a Mustwin State of her own, michigan, hoping to shore up support from Organized Labor after Yesterdays Decision by the International Association Of Firefighters not to back a president ial candidate this year. Harris has the endorsement of virtually every large union, and today went after trump. Donald trumps Track Record is a disaster for working people. He is an existential threat to americas labor movement. Just look at his Track Record to know. Reporter while President Biden raising concerns about Trumps Reaction if he loses. Im confident it will be free and fair. I dont know whether it will be peaceful. Garrick, Vice President harris will be getting high Profile Help next week. Tell us about it . Reporter thats right, lester. In a sign of how near we are to the end of this race and how tight it is expected to be, the Harris Campaign is bringing in someone they hope can be a closer, former President Barack Obama expected to crisscross the country on Harriss Behalf beginning with a rally in pittsburgh next week. Lester. Garrett haake, thank you. Tomorrow Formerpresident Trump returns to butler, pennsylvania, and the site of a July Attempt on his life. Dasha burns was there that day and spoke with some trump supporters who say theyre going back, too. Look what happened oh. Get down, get down, get down. Reporter nearly three months after surviving that attempt on his life with those images of blood on his face and his fist in the air, Formerpresident Trump is returning to butler, pennsylvania, this weekend. I have an obligation to go back to butler. We never finished what we were supposed to do. Reporter back then, Rally Goers watched in horror as the gunman climbed on to an unsecured Roof Top and opened fire. A scathing Senate Investigation later detailed massive Security Failures by the Secret Service. About 100 yards behind me is the building from where the gunman took shots at Formerpresident Trump. Last time around people could get pretty close to mr. Trump from outside the rally perimeter. This time around, we cant get anywhere near the area. In fact, theyre even putting up, you can see the Shipping Containers that are blocking line of sight from outside the rally perimeter. Tonight the Secret Service telling Nbc News Theyve made comprehensive changes and enhancements, and that the former president is receiving heightened protection. Joining trump saturday, the family of corey comparetor, the firefighter who was killed. Pack then i talked to the doctor who rushed to help, a moment he says he cant remember. I saw that stick with me to tend of my life. Reporter do you think you are going to go . Yes. Reporter why . I refuse to be terrorized to the point where i feel like im only safe at home. Reporter also returning, Mother And Son donna and joe hutz. I knew my son was scared to death because he was holding my hand. He hasnt held my hand since i was probably 5 or 6 years old. Reporter how are you two going to support Each Other through this . Hold hands. I dont know. Reporter how are you doing now . In im doing a lot better. I ended up in trauma therapy. The way i described it to my therapist, i said, i cant get out of the bleachers. Reporter they hope to turn a weekend of tragedy into a time of healing. Not going to scare us away from the rally. Just defiant. You dont get to win. Reporter dasha burns, Nbc News, butler, pennsylvania. In the middle east new threats against israel by irans top leader while israel shows no sign of scaling back its campaign against hezbollah in lebanon. Richard engel is there. Reporter irans supreme leader, Ayatollah KhomeiniLed Priors In Tehran for first time in fours years. He said iran is ready to strike israel again if necessary. To drive home the point, the 85yearold Cleric clutched an assault rifle. Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at war with Irans Network of allies. The main battleground is lebanon, against hezbollah, which has been attacking Northern Israel with rockets for nearly a year in of. In response the group says to israel, war on gaza. Beirut is now rocked by Israel Day and night. Here israel targeted what an official said was a meeting of hezbollah leaders. In southern lebanon, israel is trying to carve out a Buffer Zone free of hezbollah. Israeli strikes are taking their toll here. The city of tyre, one of the biggest cities here in southern lebanon, has effectively been evacuated. There are very few civilians left here. Hezbollah has taken a beating in recent days, but the group remains intact and every day down here we have seen and heard outgoing fire. Lebanese officials say 1,400 people have been killed. In israel prime Minister Netanyahu and his War Cabinet are still deciding how and when to respond to irans missile attack. That decision will be felt across the middle east and beyond. Lester. Richard engel, thank you. In 60 seconds, why an infamous Murder Case from long ago, the Menendez Brothers, is getting new attention from Kim Kardashian and prosecutors. Vere eczema. 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Reporter its a Case Back in the spotlight. Theyre reviewing new evidence to see if the Menendez Brothers should be resentenced. We have not decided on the outcome. We are reviewing the information. Reporter The Brothers Serving Life Without Parole for the murder of their parents in 1989 in their Beverly Hills mansion. Its time for the world to know the truth. Reporter but the brothers say evidence in last Years Peacock Series owned by the same Parent Company as Nbc News proves they acted in selfdefense after years of abuse. In that doc, a former Band Member also alleges jose menendez, head of rca records, molested him. This guy, thats the pedophile. Reporter and theres this Letter Eric wrote, ive been trying to avoid dad. I stay up thinking he might come in. The case gaining new attention, sparked by the popular new netflix series, and now Kim Kardashian, who said she visited the brothers in prison, Penning A personal essay to nbc calling for their release saying at the time of the trial, there was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy. Given the cultural shift in how we view sexual assault, do you think this case would have been handled differently if we tried it today . There is no question to the way the case would be looked at today. Reporter a hearing is set for november. Liz kreutz, Nbc News, los angeles. There is more to tell you about. Coming up, the family of an american hostage opens up about the hardest part of the last year as October 7th approaches. Breztri gave. Better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flareups. Breztri wont replace a Rescue Inhaler for sudden breathing problems. It is not for asthma. Tell your doctor if you have a Heart Condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Dont take breztri more than prescribed. Breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain. Mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating,. Vision changes, or Eye Pain occur. Ask your doctor about breztri. Liberty mutual customized my Car Insurance so i saved hundreds. With the money i saved i thought id get a Wax Figure of myself. Cool right . Look at this craftmanship. I mean they even got my nostrils right. Its just nice to know that years after im gone this guy will be standing the test of ti. Hes melting oh jeez. Nooo. Oh gaa. Only pay for what you need. Liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty start your day with nature made. The 1 pharmacist recommended Vitamin And Supplement brand. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America Trump is not fit to be president again. Heres his Vice President anyone who puts himself over the constitution should never be president of the united states. I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump this year. His Defense Secretary do you think trump can be trusted with the nations secrets ever again . No. I mean, its just irresponsible action that places our Service Members at risk, places our Nations Security at risk. His National Security AdvisorDonald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nations former highest ranking Military Officer we dont take an oath to a king or queen. Or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we dont take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best Donald Trump is too big a risk for america. Im Kamala Harris and i approve this message. Feeling ughh from a backed up gut . Ughh. Miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go. Free your gut and your mood will follow. For 8 grams of fiber, try mirafiber gummies. For 8 grams of fiber, [ gasp ] Way Days coming. Wayfairs big sale is back. For three days only, October 5th through 7th, get excited to get up to 80 off ooh, yes plus, score free shipping on everything [ grunting ] and Surprise Flash deals all Way Day long Way Day starts October 5th, so mark your calendar. And start filling your cart wayfair. Every style. Every home. Does Mark Farrell have the right experience to shake up City Hall . In nearly ten years as supervisor, mark grew the bureaucracy by authorizing or creating a commission almost every year. He rubber stamped hundreds of millions to homeless nonprofits with zero accountability and orchestrated a Paytoplay Scheme that sold out taxpayers to the highest bidder. Mark farrell has all the wrong experience for the change we need. Israel is preparing to mark one year since the October 7th terror attack. For the families of some 100 hostages still being held, its been a year of fear and uncertainty. Our Raf Sanchez with one family still waiting to learn the fate of their beloved father. Reporter in those playful hours after school and before dinner, they wait for their dad to come home. Theyve been waiting for 364 days. And we miss him so much. My daughters are asking about him every single day. Reporter the 36yearold is a hostage in gaza. 1 of 101 still held captive after being hostage by hamas. Hes the only one with young children. 3yearold galley asks about her dad. But the hardest questions come from her sister. Shes 7. Where is my daddy . Mom, why did he not come back . Why daddy is not here to celebrate my birthday . And what do you tell your daughters . My heart is broke, but i need to be strong. So i tell them, i hope daddy is okay. We dont know, but i hope. Reporter she grew up between israel and boston. A Red Sox fanatic, who played Center Field for israels junior national team. They were high school sweethearts, together for 20 years. Raising their children in nearby kibbutz two miles from gaza and one of the first communities overrun by hamas on October 7th. He went out to defend the kibbutz, the last time she saw him. With terrorists going house to house, she sheltered their children in a safe room. And i said to my daughter, please be quiet. And she asked me, gaza in my house . Daddy is dead . Reporter when they were finally rescued she narrated this video. Were worried about our dad, she says. Through it all, in the final months of pregnancy. In december, she gave birth to their third child, a name that means dawn in hebrew. Today, shes 10 months old. Her father has never held her or seen her smile. I cant wait for them to meet. Every day, i wait for this. Thats my wish. Reporter he may not know his family survived October 7th. She texts her husband updates about the kids, knowing he cant read them. I do it for him. I write for him what i feel and what i want to tell him. Reporter how much i miss you, even after ten months. It feels like the first day. Last thanksgiving, a brief ceasefire led to the release of 105 hostages. And i remember how bar so cried, why not, why not . Why not my daddy . Reporter but the deal did offer a glimmer of hope. Freed hostages said they had seen him in a tunnel in november, wounded, but alive. You feel in your heart hes still alive . Yes, yes. Almost every day i go to sleep, and i dream about him, and we meet in dreams, and we talk about everything. I feel he is alive, and we must do everything to bring him home. Reporter Raf Sanchez, Nbc News, israel. Well take a break here. Coming up, the spirit of asheville, how Dolly Parton and so many artists are coming together to help. Coming Togetheto R Woman look i got the new iphone 16 pro at verizon. 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Xiidra targets inflammation. Overthecounter drops dont do this. They only hit pause on my symptoms. But twicedaily xiidra gives me lasting relief. Xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Dont use if allergic to xiidra and seek medical help if needed. Common Side Effects include eye irritation, discomfort, blurred vision, and unusual taste sensation. Dont touch Container Tip to your eye or any surface. Before using xiidra, Remove Contact Lenses and wait fifteen minutes before reinserting. Dry eye over and over . Its time for xiidra. finally tonight, there is good news in the aftermath of helene. Dolly parton announcing shes donating 2 Million to in North Carolina, ashevilles Artist Community is banding together to come back strong. Antonia hylton is there. Reporter Mark And Julia can still hear the music. The only thing that gives me peace. Reporter and the Dancing And Laughter that once filled the asheville guitar bar, a venue in the river arts district. What was it like there on a busy night . Oh, my gosh. I would just look at everyone smiling. Many bands have been formed out of here. Many relationships have come and gone and come back again. Yeah. Reporter Hurricane Helene may have destroyed almost everything in the neighborhood, but the one thing the Storm Couldnt Touch was its spirit. This is an iconic, Creative Community. Welcoming artists and grammywinning performers. Mark and julia are salvaging many of the 52 guitars that once covered these walls, and accepting help from beloved customers coming to dig them out of the mud. So, yes, we havent really broke down yet. No, we havent. Weve just been focused on getting forward and making things happen. Reporter theyre not alone. Artists have coordinated Cleanup Crews Saving as much as possible. Check on us. Were going to need help for a long time. Reporter at the green room, a small, freespirited shop spared by helene. Owner Kitty Savage is hosting free jam sessions, trusting in music to help her neighbors get by. Its really nice to see people coming back again. To experience a sense of joy, we have a duty of providing joy. Reporter this is the spirit that made asheville. Do you have faith your community will help you bring this place back . Absolutely. Absolutely. Reporter and its this Art And Spirit that will make them whole once again, antonia hylton, Nbc News, asheville. That is nightly news this friday. Thank you for watching. Im lester holt. Please take care of yourself and Each Other. Good night