Foreign power. The growing calls for him to resign even in his own party. Also tonight, Tropical Storm ophelia taking aim. The path from North Carolina up the east coast. The United Autoworkers expanding their strike across 20 states. How it could impact you if you need a car repair. And the invitation to President Biden. Will he join the picket line . New images of the surge at the border. Were inside a shelter talking to migrants. Why they say they converged on one small texas town. News on that f35 fighter jet that went missing. The 911 call after the pilot ejected and landed in a backyard. Youll hear what he and the stunned homeowner told the dispatcher. The deadly bus crash involving a high school band. The band director and a retired teacher killed. The investigation. And ukraines stolen children. One mothers 3,000mile journey to bring her son home. Announcer this is Nbc Nightly News with lester holt. Good evening, and welcome. A highranking democratic u. S. Senator, who is no stranger to facing down federal prosecution, is proclaiming his innocence against serious new charges tonight. New jersey senator bob menendez and his wife nadine indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in new york, accused in a sweeping Bribery Scheme. According to the indictment, the couple accepted Hundreds Of Thousands of dollars of bribes in the form of cash, gold, luxury cars, and Mortgage Payments meant to secure the senators power and influence for the benefit of three new jersey businessmen and the government of egypt. Menendez prevailed in a separate 2015 Corruption Indictment when the government dropped its case and responding to the new indictment, menendez in a statement said today, prosecutors have misrepresented the normal work of a congressional office. Our nbc news chief justice contributor Jonathan Dienst has details. Reporter a stunning Corruption Indictment tonight against senator bob menendez. Prosecutors laying out what they say was a wideranging Bribery Scheme by the new jersey democrat, saying he and his wife accepted gold bars, piles of cash, and a mercedesbenz, all in an illegal effort to help three businessmen and egyptian officials. The senator and his wife accepted Hundreds Of Thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for Senator Menendez using his power and influence to protect and to enrich those businessmen and to benefit the government of egypt. Reporter one of those businessmen, fred daibes, is an admitted fraudster, who allegedly paid menendez and his wife with these gold bars. Gold, the indictment says menendez went online to search how much of one kilo is worth. Three these kilograms together are worth approximately 150,000. Reporter during a search of menendezs home, prosecutors say they found 480,000 in cash, including these envelopes stuffed into one of his suits. More hidden in a safe and in closets. According to the indictment, Senator Menendez also abused his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign relations committee. Senator menendez allegedly provided sensitive, nonpublic u. S. Government information to egyptian officials. Reporter Senator Menendez and his wife both deny wrongdoing saying, forces behind the scenes are trying to silence him with false claims. Theres been an active Smear Campaign of anonymous sources. The excesses of these prosecutors is apparent. They have misrepresented the normal work of a congressional office, attacked my wife for the longstanding friendships she had before she and i even met. While Many Democrats are remaining silent tonight, new jerseys governor saying the allegations are deeply disturbing and calling on menendez to immediately resign. And jonathan is joining me in the studio. Menendez is stepping down his position as chair of the Senate Foreign relations committee. Thats right, lester, and all defendants are expected in Court Wednesday where theyre expected to plead not guilty. This is the second time in a decade he has faced corruption charges. Last time it ended in a hung jury, and the charges, lester, were then dropped. Jonathan, thank you very much. Tropical storm ophelia is taking aim expected to bring Drenching Rains and potential flooding this weekend. Bill karins is tracking it for us. Bill, whats the latest . Good evening, lester, ophelia is trying to be a Memorial Storm Increasing in intensity more than expected almost at Hurricane Strength and take this into North Carolina as we go throughout the overnight hours. We have Tropical Storm warnings that extend all the way from the wilmington area back up through southern portions of maryland and delaware. Itll weaken rapidly during the day saturday but still bring gusty winds and flood threat through southern portions of virginia. The biggest concern is storm surge. Two to four feet from Virginia Beach all the way down to emerald isle, but that is near high tide and very problematic for the albemarle and pamlico sound. As much as seven inches of rain in North Carolina and up to four inches over the weekend in areas of the northeast. All right, bill karins. Lets turn to the strike expanding the walkout with President Biden about to get involved. Jesse kirsch is in pontiac, michigan. Jesse, the president is headed there. Reporter lester, President Biden saying he will join one of these picket lines tuesday just hours before former president Donald Trumps expected speech to Union Workers in this state. Meanwhile, the potential consequences of this strike are growing. Tonight, the United Autoworkers historic strike now stretching coast to coast. Reinforcements are coming. Reporter the union said its made Real Progress but just with ford, so its following through on its threat telling General Motors and stellantis workers to strike at all Distribution Centers from new york to North Carolina, texas, colorado and california. Theyre going to need serious pushing. Reporter among those walking off the job eric shorter. He says he was also part of a 40day strike against gm in 2019 with his family feeling that financial strain. Are you ready to go 40 days again . Yes, sir. Absolutely, absolutely. Why . Because we deserve it. We deserve a fair, reasonable wage. Reporter but that fight for higher pay could soon hit americans far from the picket line. This will be days that we will feel the impact and consumers will feel the impact. Reporter scott runs 40 dealerships and they stocked up on high demand parts like brake pads, but new engines could be harder to find with Distribution Centers on strike. If the union really wanted to put more pressure directly on the companies, was this the best next step for the union . This tactic seems to put more pressure on the dealers and consumers than the company. Reporter in a statement General Motors accusing Union Leadership of manipulating the bargaining process. For their own personal agendas. Stellantis writing, we question whether the unions leadership has ever had an interest in reaching an agreement in a timely manner, but the union says, its closer to a deal with ford highlighting the companys offers on issues including costofliving adjustments and the right to strike over plant closures. Tonight ford says theres more work to do. Jesse kirsch, nbc news, pontiac, michigan. Tonight no letup in the latest surge of migrants illegally crossing the southern border. Officials telling nbc news, most migrants are being released into the u. S. Tom llamas spoke with some of them in eagle pass, texas. Reporter from early this morning through the afternoon migrants still pouring into eagle pass, texas. This group right here just crossed the rio grande. [ speaking in a global language ] they say theyve been traveling for a month and three days. Packing freight trains, riding anywhere they can, this week theyve come by the tens of thousands. Floeb gloeb this man saying hes too weak to continue. He needs water. Part of a surge of migrants that took border towns and Homeland Security by surprise. In just the last 24 hours, there were 8,200 illegal crossings over the southern border, 2,600 in eagle pass alone. How many of you guys rode the train . [ speaking in a global language ] everybody rode the train. The train was full. [ speaking in a global language ] a thousand people. The trains were full, they tell me. Enrique barrios was one of them. He tells me you had to hold on tight, because if you fall, you die. [ speaking in a global language ] this man tells me he tried following the new rules using the Biden Administrations app, cbp1 to apply for asylum, but the app crashed. [ speaking in a global language ] this as nbc news has learned most migrants who have crossed illegally since those new rules were put into effect in may have been processed then released into the u. S. , not deported. The Border Patrol union says just in september, more than 100,000 migrants have been released into the u. S. The Biden Administration sending 800 Military Personnel to help process new arrivals, but local leaders say they need a different type of assistance. That doesnt help. They need to surge immigration judges, and people need to get their cases heard in day, not years. And tom joins us now. Tom, tell us about this key meeting on the border this weekend. Reporter lester, tomorrow the dhs secretary, alejandro mayorkas, will meet with the president of honduras here on the border to discuss, quote, reducing irregular migration and highlighting lawful pathways as an alternative to smugglers. Lester, just this week alone, at least 40,000 migrants have crossed illegally. All right, tom llamas, thank you. Were learning more about that bus that crashed northwest of new york city killing two people and injuring dozens of students heading to band camp. Heres emilie ikeda. Reporter tonight, new details on the harrowing moments before a bus packed with Band Students went careening off the roadway. I heard the bus, like, start to, like, roll over the hill, and then i heard everyone started screaming. Reporter Officials Say the crash landed virtually everyone in the hospital. The kid next to me was covered in blood. Reporter farmingdale high schools beloved band director, gina pellettiere, died along with her close friend, 77yearold beatrice ferrari. Her daughter says the retired teacher chaperoned the trip for three decades. My moms impact on so many people throughout her time as a teacher and just her time in the community was profound, and the reason im talking tonight is to honor that. Reporter among the seriously injured, natalie and ashley betty. Their Mom Sharing Natalie found her sister, ashley, and screamed to get her out from under the bus suffering a broken clavicle, jaw, ribs and partially collapsed lung. The bus rolled over. Reporter the bus moved to Police Barracks in orange county, new york, as investigators zero in on a faulty front tire. When a Steering Tire blows when youre traveling at a high rate of speed with a vehicle that is the mass of the bus, it can be difficult to steer. Reporter and police say five students are still in Critical Condition as a memorial outside of the school here continues to grow. Lester. Emilie, thank you. Now to the cost of Climate Change hitting home. California is considering new rules that would allow Insurance Companies to consider climate risk in their policies. As Miguel Almaguer reports, it could send people numbers soaring. Reporter home to some of the nations most coveted real estate, tonight the cost of insuring a home in california could soon dramatically change. For the first time, the states Insurance Commissioner is moving to let Insurance Companies factor in future Climate Risks when setting new policy prices. We are truly living in unprecedented times. Reporter after decades of disaster Insurance Commissioner ricardo lara says the move is aimed at keeping Insurance Companies from fleeing the state. There is no doubt that california is at an Insurance Crossroads Making insurance more available is becoming critical for our entire economy. Reporter but critics say allowing Insurance Companies to spike premiums based on the threat of floods and wildfires in the future is a disaster of its own. The Insurance Companies are using Climate Change as an excuse to make changes in rules that have saved californians literally, not exaggerating, hundreds of billions of dollars in the last 35 years. Reporter with the new study projecting more than 39 million americans could soon face skyrocketing insurance premium, some insurers have already walked away from hurricane and floodingprone states like florida and louisiana and highrisk areas of california many are already priced out. I just received a bill, and its double what it was last year. Reporter in allowing Insurance Companies to look ahead when setting rates, the state will also require those same companies insure more homeowners who live in areas of high risk. Tonight, the fight to keep californians insured, if they can afford it. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. In 60 seconds, the words of the pilot who ejected from that f35 jet that crashed in South Carolina. The 911 audio after he came down in a backyard just released. Came down in a these hands used to hold me as a little girl. Would comfort me. But now, theyve become aggressive. This mouth used to sing me lullabies. Now, its unrecognizable. If your loved one with alzheimers dementia has become agitated, its not their fault. They could have agitation in alzheimers dementia, which can cause behavior beyond their control. Help your loved one. Learn more at agitationinalz. Com. Social media, it can be overwhelming for a young homeowner turning into their parents. Has anyone tried pilates . okay . 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Reporter the 47yearold pilot was flying an f35 sunday but had to eject landing in the backyard of a North Charleston home where a stunned homeowner called 911. I guess we got a pilot in our house and says he ejected from a plane. See if we can get some ambulance, please. Im sorry. What happened . We got a pilot in the house, and i guess he landed in my backyard. Reporter the pilot describes his Harrowing Escape saying incredibly his only injury is back pain. How far did he fall . I was at 2,000 feet. What caused the fall . An aircraft failure. Reporter he urgently tells the dispatcher the plane is likely going down. Im not sure where the airplane is. It would have crash landed somewhere. I ejected. I understand, sir. Reporter it was ultimately found some 80 miles away after crashing into a field. Officials have not said what went wrong but just this week, the Government AccountabilityOffice Released a report on the f35 program saying the fleets Mission Capable rate was about 55 , consistently failing to meet performance goals. It comes after this stunning Crash Landing last december in texas where an f35 pilot had to eject on the runway. And Officials Say the investigation into this latest crash will take several months. Lester. All right, blayne alexander, thank you. When we come back, the question on the rise at maui, and its a tough one. Is it even worth rebuilding . The Climate Challenge is next. Type 2 diabetes . Discover the ozempic® trizone. I got the power of 3. I lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. In studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. Im under 7. Ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. Im lowering my risk. 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Shed like to rebuild in the community she loves, but restarting seems so far away, and so much here, including the air itself, has changed. When we moved into lahaina, we didnt even have airconditioning, and then all of a sudden its noticeably hotter. Fire was never any part of what we thought about here, and now its definitely something. Reporter pamelas fears are grounded in science. Researchers say the Hawaiian Islands have been consumed by a 20year drought. How many of these Weather Stations are there in the state . About 40 of them up right now. Reporter hydrologist Chris Schuller says dry grasses spike fire risk. The grasses respond really fast when it rains, so if we have a wet winter, theyll grow up, and if we have a dry summer, then theyll die and turn into a really large fuel load. Reporter here in whats considered the wet part, the Lush Greenery and waterfalls fueled in part because of 300 inches of rain that this island sees every year. On the dry side its dramatically different with some areas getting as little as 11 inches of rain. That trend is expected to increase. Climate research from the University Of Hawaii shows the wettest areas seeing as much as 75 inches of additional rain by the end of the century as the dry areas get even drier with more places expecting Rainfall Levels equal to arizonas deserts. Were looking at a year as really dry conditions. Reporter across the island, Community Discussions are already swirling over the best way to rebuild. We need to move forward in Building Back in those ways that keep our land and Community Safe without relying on volunteerism to try to retrofit. Reporter with the promise of a worsening climate, pamela says that wont be simple. I wish none of us went through this, but Everyone Needs to figure out what could we do so this never happens again because not just fire but other parts of Climate Change is happening to us here. 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[ speaking in a global language ] these kids arent ukrainian anymore . [ speaking in a global language ] Saving Nikita the fight to return ukraines children is an nbc news digital documentary available now on nbcnews. Com. Thats nightly news for this friday, everyone. Thank you for watching. Im lester holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night. [narrator] every day, our lives are filled with choices, both simple and lifechanging. Whats not a choice . Addiction to opioids like fentanyl. But even with opioid use disorder, you still have a choice. By choosing treatment, you choose family, your career and your life on your terms. Choose change, california, and find medically proven Treatment Options at choosechangeca. Org. Nbc bay area now streaming live on peacock. Four and a half hours and counting. Part of a major South Bay Highway is set to close. What you need to know heading into your weekend. Good afternoon. Im audrey asistio. Welcome. Arraign coal will be giving us everything we need to know about the Highway Closure in just a few nt