senator under fire for what many are calling racist remarks at a trump rally. an nfl player rushed off the field in an ambulance today for a neck injury just as brand-new concussion protocols begin. one player already out with a concussion. he s still in some pain. they re tending to him. new warnings of a brutal flu season ahead. cases already wid spread in new york. and the new vaccine recommended for older americans. inside tips on how to get your money back from airlines after cancellations. you actually haven t processed the refund? the hero bus driver who saved this toddler after a terrifying carjacking. announcer: this is nbc nightly news with kate snow. good evening. russian president vladimir putin is calling it an act of terrorism, a powerful blast on a key bridge that russia has used to transport military equipment. the kerr ch bridge connects russia to crimea, an area russia annexed in 2014. that bridge was built just four years in 2018. some ukr
today new concussion rules went into effect for the nfl, meant to keep players safe. and today one player was already taken out of a game for a confirmed concussion. another is out of a heart hit. raphe sanchez has more. reporter: tonight, even as the nfl tightens rules around concussions, more horrific injuries on the field. smith goes down. looks like he collapses. detroit lions quarterback saivion smith taken to the hospital with a suspected neck injury, though no sign of a concussion. it comes as the nfl and player s union agree to a more cautious approach to concussions. a player won t be allowed back on the field if they show symptoms of ataxia, a brain disorder that can cause unsteady balance, impaired cord nagts, or slurred speech. we re trying to make the concussion protocol even more conservative. reporter: miami dolphins, teddy bridgewater, the first player removed as precaution under the new protocol. another player confirmed concussed