Right now. Announcer this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Reporting tonight from los angeles. Good evening. Did you see it . Thats what a lot of folks were saying this morning after last nights Republican Debate spectacle as if it was something not to be missed. 24 Million Viewers tuned in for the most watched debate in history. And if he didnt steal the show, then donald trump certainly brought the drama right from the start, doubling down on his take no prisoners approach to the issues and the race itself. But maybe at the risk of alienating some women voters. As well hear more about in just a moment. But first the debate after the debate about who won and what the republican landscape looks like the day after. Peter alexander leads us off tonight. Hey. How are you . Reporter the republican contenders scattered across the country today, fresh off last nights raucous debate where donald trump refused to rule out a thirdparty run if hes not the nominee. Mr. Trump. Reporter today standing his ground. I dont want to do the independent thing. But i do keep it and it is leverage. Reporter trumps rivals are teeing off on the frontrunner. I think that the independent run thing was the worst part of the night last night. Reporter on stage trump was trump. Brash and unapologetic. Our leaders are stupid. Our politicians are stupid. We dont have time for tone. We have to go out and get the job done. Reporter so far trump has defied political gravity, but can he continue to rise in the polls . Conservative commentator Laura Ingraham says yes. I dont think there was any body blow delivered to donald trump. I just dont believe it. Still the fiery former reality tv star embraced his opponents, calling them fellow contestants. This photo taken before the main event. I thought marco was terrific. Walker good guy. Carson, terrific guy. And i got to know jeb bush really for the first time, and he was a terrific guy. Reporter among the nights winners analysts say marco rubio. I think god has blessed us. Hes blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The democrats cant even find one. Reporter and Ohio Governor john kasich, who showed compassion in explaining his opposition to samesex marriage. So if one of my daughters happened to be that, of course i would love them and i would accept them. Reporter two of the leading republicans at times seemed more like afterthoughts. I think jeb bush needs to be more comfortable at the podium. And i think scott walker needs to be a bit more natural. Reporter today rand paul attacked Chris Christie on twitter after one of the nights most heated exchanges over government surveillance. You know, when youre sitting in a subcommittee just blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that. I dont trust president obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead. Reporter for all the energy in the Republican Party right now it will be another six weeks before the candidates debate again. And remember, there are nearly six more months until the first primary ballots for president are actually cast. Lester . All right, peter, thanks. And the combative donald trump carried the sparring over to today, blasting the way he thought he was treated during the debate. Trump was confronted in the first question to him about some of his past comments on women. But if the moderators were expecting any apologies, they had another thing coming. Heres nbcs andrea mitchell. Reporter what is it about donald trump and women . In last nights debate moderator megyn kelly challenged him about the way hes talked about women. Youve called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your twitter account only Rosie Odonnell. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president . What i say is what i say. And honestly, megyn, if you dont like it, im sorry. Ive been very nice to you, although i could probably maybe not be based on the way you have treated me. But i wouldnt do that. Reporter in the spin room afterwards he called her out. But the questions to me were not nice. I didnt think they were appropriate. And i thought megyn i thought megyn i think megyn behaved very badly. Personally. Reporter she fired back. Personally i wondered how that will play with female viewers and voters because Rosie Odonnell is a woman. She is not the things that he called her. And women find those remarks offensive. Reporter trump kept up his criticism on social media, tweeting, wow, megynkelly really bombed tonight. People are going wild on twitter. Funny to watch. Today even retweeting someone calling kelly a bimbo, which has some republicans crying foul. I want everyone to imagine donald trump on a president ial stage calling Hillary Clinton a bimbo. It would be outrageous, and it would hand her the president ial election. Reporter and Chris Christie told Kelly Odonnell today i have a really strong, capable, tough wife who wouldnt put up with five seconds of that kind of stuff. Reporter but trumps comments didnt offend some women at the red state gathering in atlanta. Maybe i have a better sense of humor than some women but i dont take it too seriously. Reporter Republican Party leaders have been afraid to criticize trump. But after losing the white house in 2012 the party recommended softening its tone and reaching out to women, who do make up 53 of all voters. Lester . Andrea mitchell, thanks. Lets bring in our political director. The moderator of meet the press, chuck todd. I dont even know where to start, chuck. I know. Lester, look, we knew it was going to be the trump show, and in many ways it was. And obviously the toughest opponent he had on stage were the questioners. But look, i think whats going to be fascinating to watch is trump i dont think did anything a normal political candidate we would say donald trump was in deep trouble and he was in danger of losing support. But i think we have seen he has defied political gravity before. But i dont think he did anything to expand his appeal. And i think that issue, not just with megyn kelly but i think the issue of not pledging to stay in the party is really going to hurt him. I think whats going to be interesting to see is what kind of impact do the solid, good performances by marco rubio in particular and john kasich, who both sort of took advantage of the moments that they got to introduce themselves to a lot more people than they ever thought theyd be talking to, lester, and will that vault them into the top tier . Particularly look at rubio. He had a great night in comparison to jeb bush and scott walker, who both at times blended into the background too much. All right. Chuck todd, thank you. Well see you sunday for a very busy meet the press including your interview with one of the consensus winners of the debate. As you noted, florida senator marco rubio. Now to breaking news in colorado. James holmes, the man who carried out the 2012 Aurora Movie Theater massacre has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. No Death Penalty because the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. Nbcs jacob rascon has the late details. Reporter Movie Theater shooter james holmes stood to face the final verdict. Life imprisonment without the probable of parole. Reporter outside the courthouse, some survivors and victim family members were outraged. When you look at, you know whats happened in light of this, thats not justice. Reporter the jury deliberated for 6 1 2 hours after passionate closing arguments and testimony from family members of the victims. Sierra kouden remembers how her father used to wake her up. Hed go and hed, like, come in making that sound. And i know i used to kind of dread that sound, but id like to hear it now. Reporter the prosecutor reminded the jury that three years ago holmes shot 82 people inside a packed colorado Movie Theater, killing 12. And for james eagan holmes, justice is death. Reporter tamara braidry pleaded for guilty on holmes reminding the jury that he is mentally ill. The death of a seriously mentally ill man is not justice no matter how tragic the case is. 911 what is your imagine . Reporter the capital murder trial lasted 65 days with 306 witnesses and thousands of pieces of evidence. The last person to speak was holmes himself, though not in front of the jury. I choose not to testify. Reporter a sentence of life in prison for the man responsible for one of the worst Mass Shootings in america. The jury was not unanimous in the end on any of the 24 murder counts. Two per victim which automatically triggered a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. A formal sentencing hearing will take place later this month. Lester . Jacob rascon thank you. Now to a major setback for the white house on the iran nuclear deal. Chuck schumer, the snass third highest ranking democrat, is now the first senator in his party to break with president obama on the deal. Our senior white house correspondent, chris jansing, joins us now with more. Chris . Reporter lester, no member of congress has been lobbied harder on the iran deal than chuck schumer. Hes the most influential jewish voter in congress, likely the next Democratic Senate leader. So the white house badly wanted his support. In announcing his decision against the deal, schumer wrote he found serious weaknesses in the agreement that would leave iran stronger financially and better able to advance a robust nuclear program. Today the white house tried to downplay the impact of the statement, calling it disappointing but not surprising. But as the president left for his vacation late this afternoon, aides left open the possibility he could be doing some more lobbying from marthas vineyard. With Republican Opposition to the iran deal nearly unanimous, he needs to hold on to members of his own party. Now, the odds are still with president obama, but the key question tonight is whether schumers decision will embolden other democrats to oppose the president as well. Lester . Chris jansing, thanks. New numbers today show another month of solid hiring in the economy. Employers added 215,000 jobs in july, with the Unemployment RateHolding Steady at 5. 3 . The lowest in seven years. Analysts say it raises the possibility the fed could hike Interest Rates next month. Its the biggest art heist in history, and authorities are hoping you may provide a new lead in the case. The fbi has now released video the public has never seen before, which they believe may show a dry run for a 25yearold caper that netted 500 million in artwork. Nbcs rehema ellis has more. Reporter could this neverbeforereleased video be the clue that helps recover a half a billion dollars in precious masterpieces . 13 works of art, including pieces by rembrandt, vermeer, and monet, stolen 25 years ago from the Isabella StewartGarden Museum in boston by two men disguised as police officers. The goal is to hopefully trigger somebodys memory that may know that individual so that we can generate a lead from that. Reporter the sevenminute Security Camera video is from 12 50 a. M. On march 17th, 1990. Almost exactly 24 hours before the heist. You see a car backing down the street. That matches the description of a vehicle reportedly parked outside the museum during the robbery. The video also shows a Security Guard leaving his post. Then a second guard buzzes in a man from outside. The fbi says the two men who stole the art the next day are dead. They dont know the identity of the man in the surveillance video. Were releasing the video now because we havent recovered the art. And we want to talk to anybody that may have been associated with the heist. Reporter new tips are already coming in. And theres a 5 million reward posted. It is a remarkable crime story. Each little tidbit, even very grainy, grainy video makes many people excited to pore over each little detail. Reporter empty frames still hang in the boston museum, as one of the biggest mysteries in the art world remains unsolved. Rehema ellis, nbc news, new york. Still ahead tonight, a violent uproar that changed american history. 50 years since the watts riots. Were on those streets. An eyeopening look with the man now leading the lapd and a personal journey through the neighborhood. Also a fireball on the tarmac. A big scare today for passengers. Well tell you how this happened. Here in los angeles a grim anniversary will be marked next week. It will be 50 years since the start of the watts riots. The first of the deadly race riots that will be remembered as the long hot summers of the 1960s. But are the seeds of unrest still there . I recently spent some time in watts with l. A. s top cop to see how much watts and the people who police it have changed against the backdrop of todays racial tensions across the country. On an early friday morning watts is sleepy and quiet and a far cry from the neighborhood charlie beck, now l. A. s police chief, once patrolled as a beat cop. I can remember driving down the street and feeling the hate was palpable. I mean, i could feel it. Reporter beck was a kid when watts burned in 1965. Your father was a cop. Yeah, my dad was an l. A. Cop. And i was 12 years old when the riots started. It was a hot august night. I was 6 years old. I was living maybe seven, eight, nine, ten miles from here. I remember the smoke, the sirens, remember seeing the troops drive by. The National Guard presence was huge. Reporter the match was lit just outside watts. So this is 116th and avalon. This is where it started. It was a little after 7 00 at night. Reporter it was here. A california highway patrolman was arresting a black dui suspect. A restless crowd gathered. Tensions flamed. And before long the streets had erupted into violence, leaving businesses looted and torched and ultimately 34 people dead. More than 1,000 injured. You know, it was a time of huge political strife and a lot of unemployment and a lot of community distrust. Reporter in short, a lot of the same ingredients that gave breath to the 1992 riots after the rodney king case. And more recently the unrest in the streets of baltimore and ferguson, missouri. The world is getting very small. Everything that happens is a neighborhood issue. Reporter which is why the lapd has recently required every officer to undergo new training in how to deescalate confrontations with suspects. Especially the mentally disturbed. Hey, big man. Reporter and why it has ramped up community policing. Their goal is to make sure this is a healthy community. Reporter and embedding officers in highcrime Public Housing developments. You want to see it . Thats a neighborhood who wants to know their cops. They want to know your name. Reporter the underlying poverty and lack of opportunity in watts exists much as it did in 1965. Potential kindling for the next flashpoint. Good job. Reporter but becks officers no longer feel the hate on these streets that he once did. Becks focus now is on building a reservoir of trust in the community that he hopes will extinguish the next spark before it catches fire. When we have an incident like that that occurs in this neighborhood, i am less worried than in many others. That is the legacy of 1965. Chief beck is mindful Los Angeles Police have a checkered history in many minority communities here, which is one of the reasons that officers in watts have been among the first to be equipped with body cams, to create better accountability. Were back in a moment with the massive storm, 120mileanhour winds barreling on shore, millions bracing for impact. There were frightening moments aboard a pair of flights today. In nashville a sky west plane was taxiing on the tarmac when this happened. An engine burst into flames. The airport says the fire extinguished when the engine was shut off and everyone got off safely. Then there was that los angelesbound flight from london that had to turn around today after sparks shot out from two seats in first class. United Airlines Points to a possible electrical issue. No injuries were reported. As we speak, millions in taiwan are taking cover from a monster typhoon. The view from space of the storm which has been called the most powerful on earth is here. Its packing winds around 120 miles an hour, the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane. Ahead of landfall. Taiwan has already been getting hit with torrential rain. And a new record in the pool today in russia. Thats alzain tareq of bahrain. Shes 10 years old, competing against swimmers more than twice her age and twice her size. Becoming the youngest competitor ever at the world swimming championships. She finished last in her heat but she says its a major step toward her goal of qualifying for the 2020 olympics in tokyo. Speaking of phenomenal female athletes, when we come back, why a league says this girl got her Team Disqualified and how the players are fighting back. S take vo we investigataldon smiths n legal trle. He reived preferential treatmant in 2013. See at happened this time. Janelle take vo pl a reality che of some ofthbiggest claims made during last nights republicandebate. Next close the ns inext. Finally tonight, the outrage over a Youth Basketball Team one step away from the finals when they were kicked off the court for a reason that many say is sexist. The whole team was seeing red, but they chose to fight back with pink. Heres nbcs hallie jackson. Reporter after five big wins the charlottesville cavaliers were in the semifinals for a national title. But just hours before the tip a twist. Our coach was notified that weve been disqualified for having a girl. Reporter Kimora Johnson played on this allboys team for four years. So the disqualification devastated her and her mom. I mean, what are we saying by saying that she cant play with the boys . Like why not . Reporter because according to tournament organizers rules are rules. And a new one this season prohibits girls from playing with boys in the championship. Did you think it was fair . No. Because shes been playing with us for a long time. Reporter in a statement the organizers say theyre committed to offering equal competition opportunities, adding they will examine the associations policies to ensure that nothing similar happens in the future. To kimoras teammates the solution seems simple. She passes the ball a lot. She can make threes. Girls are good enough to play. Reporter the cavs still showed up on the sidelines, all wearing pink, a silent protest that spoke volumes. I think the kids grounded the adults in this situation. I think that the kids showed us were going to do what we know to be right. All of us stand to learn a lot from the kids. Do you think youre going to play on this team next year also . Yeah. Will you go to the championships . Yeah. Even though its against the rules . Yeah. Were going to make them change the rules. Kimora johnson. Reporter even without a title, still a champion for change. Hallie jackson, nbc news, charlottesville. That will do it for us on a friday night. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching. And good night. I let down. And i apologize f how it all played out. Runs04 raj vo another arrest. Anotherapology. , but this time 49s star aldon smith is kickedfthe team. But his coach is vowing to standbehind him. Short open raj 2shotthanksor joining us. M raj mathai. Janelle 2st and m janelle wang in for jessica aguirre. Janelle lineckealdon smith is out of chances with the niners. Eteam severed their ties. After smith wasarrested again. Take chy police took hiinto custody overnight for hitandrunvandalism, and dui. He was booked, then releasedthis morning. Take gfx tonight we haveteam coverage on the latest accusations, anthe fallout. Boxes the investigative units Tony Kovaleski is standing by with anindepth look at smiths treatment in jail. Bute being with robert handa. Hes live in santa clara with what police say led to this latt arrest. Robert. We begin with robert honda. Hes live with what police say is this latest arrest. Robert. Sfwlrks weir reporter were at the santa clara apartment complex where the incident took place that could cost alden smith his football career and land him in jail. The altercation that led to his legal troubles took place last night in the parking garage. When smith emerged from jail he apologized publicly but dismissed it as a situation that got out of hand and denied it was a dui case. This wasnt a dui. The situation could have been handled differently and i apologize for everybody i did