Assassinated how the u. S. Is responding taken down, the monument to robert e. Lee at the center of the Charlottesville Violence in 2017 removed and carted away final countdown. Were just hours from the first launch in the Billionaires Race into space the final preparations before takeoff as Richard Branson gets ready to leave the planet shoplifting warning. Brazen thieves targeting merchandise. Why some of the action may be coordinated, and why more everyday items will now be locked up at your local stores and to the rescue. The Amusement Park Ride that almost toppled over, and the bystanders who Rushed In to help announcer this is Nbc Nightly News with Lester Holt with Jose Diazbalart good evening. Im Kate Snow in for Jose Tonight we begin with yet another Climate Headline that isnt just a oneday news story, but part of a disconcerting pattern of Climate Change across the globe for the second time in two weeks, parts of the west are seeing a recordsetting heatwave, and its expected to last through the weekend. You remember 200 people died in the extreme heat we saw two weeks ago, and there are Concerns Tonight about keeping people cool and keeping the Power Grid online we begin with Erin Mclaughlin Reporter tonight yet another staggering heatwave striking the West California once again declaring a Power Grid emergency, one step short of rolling blackouts. In oregon threatening Power Lines and the golden States Ability to import electricity. Fire is rolling downhill here. Reporter north of Lake Tahoe a blaze forcing evacuations. Continuation of the extreme conditions that gave birth to this, a Fire Whirl recorded nearly two weeks ago, so intense it was caught on radar. Facing historic drought, Californias Governor asking residents to reduce power and conserve water. This is jaw dropping those are the effects of Climate Change. Its here. Its real. Its humaninduced acute impacts are happening decades before even the scientists predicted. Reporter with temperatures hitting tripledigits across ten states, 30 Million americans now facing extreme heat i suggest you find some place to go. Reporter Death Valley on friday hitting a horrifying 130 degrees, just 4 degrees shy of the hottest temperature ever recorded on Planet Earth the latest scorcher on the heels of the hottest june on record for the united states, an historic heatwave that blasted the pacific northwest. The Death Toll estimated at nearly 200. Homeless people among the hardest hit, including Barnett Moss he was 63 years old when he died of hyperthermia during the heatwave that ravaged our Region And Erin joins us from Los Angeles erin, when will people get some relief . Well, kate, forecasters say they expect the worst of this current heatwave to be over by tuesday, but scientists are warning we need to be prepared for more intense and more frequent heatwaves as Climate Change continues. Kate erin, thank you now breaking news out of ft. Lauderdale, florida. Officials are investigating a Bomb Scare that shut down the Citys Airport for hours today, creating a Travel Nightmare Vaughn hilliard is there. Reporter tonight, the tense moments at ft. Lauderdales international airport. Thousands forced to evacuate after a Bomb Squad was called to investigate a potential threat in the interests of the airport, its completely shut down reporter passengers with little information, forced to leave their gates. Authorities shutting down major terminals for nearly four hours, causing more than 200 delayed flights in and out of ft. Lauderdale Andstopping Vehicle Traffic outside, many getting out of their cars, forced to walk, including this group of friends heading to boston our uber dropped us on the side of the road. Reporter sharing their Mileslong Trek on foot on Social Media how many hours weve been delayed for two or three hours. Reporter and how many more do you have left 10. Reporter ten hours . Yeah. Reporter this is the countrys 14th largest airport, only creating a bottleneck situation. Eve and olivia missed their flight to Summer Camp it took off without you guys yeah. They wouldnt let news the building. Reporter outside traffic snarled and more hurried passengers running for their flights as millions of americans take to the skies this month. Just yesterday, more than Two Million people were screened by tsa just behind July 4th holiday numbers. Breaking three pandemic Records Home is where the heart is, trying to get Home And Vaughn joins us from ft. Lauderdales airport. Vaughn, whats the scene right now . Authorities have given the all clear at this airport here, but sheriffs officials remain on scene. This is still an taveon going investigation as we wait to hear the exact cause of todays chaos. Kate vaughn, thank you the new Cdc Rules for schools reopening this fall are creating some Confusion Tonight for families as not all states say theyre going follow those guidelines and now a new threat, growing cases of that more contagious Delta Variant. Kathy park reports how are you doing reporter its clear the cdc wants kids back in the classroom this fall. If a School Or Classroom is not able to maintain at least three feet distancing, that should not keep any kids out of the classroom. Reporter the agency now saying fully vaccinated students and teachers can lose the mask when they return, despite kids under 12 still ineligible for the vaccine, creating confusion for some parents. It might be difficult, you know, keeping track of who is vaccinated, who is not. Reporter School Districts and local jurisdictions now weighing in. California will continue to require masks. New york is still reviewing its policy and officials in clay county, missouri listed its Mask Requirement for all schools last month, despite an alarming rate of new infections patients were much sicker than what weve been seeing in the past. Reporter the highly transmissible Delta Variant now makes up more than 50 of new cases nationwide 67 of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine. A number the biden administration hopes to boost through Door To door vaccinations the strategy quickly called out by republican lawmakers think about what those mechanisms could be used for. They could go Door To Door To take your gun, take your bible. Reporter South Carolinas governor tweeting enticing, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy the White House pushing back the failure to provide accurate public health information, including the efficacy of vaccines and the accessibility of them to people across the country, including South Carolina is literally killing people so maybe they should consider that. Reporter an ongoing tugofwar as the nation tries to move past the pandemic kathy, biggest question for parents when do we expect vaccines for children under 12 kate, Drugmaker Pfizer and moderna are testing their vaccines on those under 12 right now. We should get the results some time this fall followed by submission to the fda for emergency use authorization. Thank you to haiti now, where officials are desperate for u. S. Military assistance following the assassination of the countrys president. The nation now in turmoil. Raf sanchez reports. Reporter as crowds gather outside the u. S. Embassy, pleading for safe passage to america, Haitis Government with a startling request of its own, asking for u. S. Troops to defend key sites from further attacks. Were not asking for the open were asking for small troops to persist and help us. Reporter but a biden Administration Official says no plans to deploy american forces to haiti. Fbi and Homeland Security officials will join the investigation into who killed President Jovenel Moise at his home on wednesday and why. First Lady Martine Moise badly wounded in the Attack Tonight she released an Audio Message from a florida hospital, sounding weak but determined to get justice for her Husbands Murder haitian officials say 17 men now in custody, including americans James Solages and Joseph Vincent 15 colombians, many of them exsoldiers also arrested as part of the plot three more killed by security forces. But the hunt continues for other suspects police and vigilantes combing the streets of portauprince, in search of assassins. And many questions still unanswered how were the killers able to so easily get past security and take the life of a president . Raf sanchez, nbc news. In virginia today, a Turning Point nearly four years after that deadly clash over Civil War Monuments and race in charlottesville. The Confederate Statues were finally taken down Monica Alba has more here it comes. Reporter Cheers Today as bronze statues of Confederate Generals robert e. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were pulled from public parks in charlottesville. Happiness and elation, but sadness of what it has taken to get us to this point. These symbols are bad for the community. And today weve removed that hate. Reporter taken down a century after being built, and nearly four years after white supremacists and neonazi groups held a Unite The Right rally, protesting calls to remove the monuments of the 19th Century military leader. The violence turned deadly when a civil Rights Activist was killed in the clashes that followed, but no visible organized protest today. One small step closer to the goal of helping charlottesville, virginia, and America Grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy black people for economic gain. Reporter hours later, another controversial symbol gone the Lewis Clark and Sacagawea Monument the City Council first voted to get rid of The One Honoring Lee in 2017 after Xiana Bryant started a petition for its removal. I think its definitely overdue but im happy that it happened reporter left behind now empty pedestals, holding a new chapter of history. And monica joins us from the White House now, where the president reacted late today to this, right the white House Tonight has president biden believes those monuments belong in museums, not public place, and he welcomes their removal. Kate monica, thank you when we come back, new video of Richard Bransons final preparations before his launch into space, now just hours away. Also, stores argued the by shoplifters. How thats impacting the way you shop we are just hours away from the beginning of a Newspace Race Billionaire Richard Branson set to blast off tomorrow in commercial spaceship that he hopes will, soon, be carrying paying passengers. If all goes well, he will beat Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos by just nine days Tom Costello reports from new mexico, near the site of Tomorrows Launch Reporter countdown in the new Mexico Desert the Virgin Galactic Spaceship Unity now mounted to its mother ship, primed, ready and rolled out nice and smoothly to zero g. It feels wonderful Reporter Virgin galactic pilots giving their final briefings. To me, its all about the view and its absolutely amazing and its spectacular. Reporter as Richard Branson and three fellow employees prepare to strap in for the journey of a lifetime release, release, release. Reporter that moment when unity drops from the mother ship. Fire. Fire. Reporter then rockets to more than 50 miles above the earth to what nasa calls the edge of space. Fellow Space Billionaire Elon musk tweeting well see you there to wish you the best. While, the Jeff Bezos blue Origin Team tweeted that branson and his passengers arent going as high as bezos, so might not be considered truecivilian astronauts its definitely a pinch yourself moment. Reporter bursting with pride, branson gave us an Exclusive Tour this week he started Virgin Galactic in 2004 pouring billions into the program, and overcoming the tragic death of a test pilot. Now his vision is becoming reality are you ready for sunday im as ready as i will ever be um, ive had 17 years waiting for this wow, look at that view. Gorgeous. Reporter the entire flight lasts about 90 minutes with three minutes of weightlessness the hope, that the battle of the Space Billionaires will open the Door To Anyone Else who can afford the quarter million Ticket Launch is set for 7 00 a. M. Mountain time on sunday and then, paying passengers in 2022 im Tom Costello nbc news, at space port america. Thank you, tom. Just as we were coming on the air, this just in Jeff Bezos wishing Branson Best Of Luck over instagram we will have live coverage of this launch tomorrow morning, you better believe it, 9 45 eastern on most nbc stations still ahead. The brazen shoplifting caught on camera what it means for the everyday products you buy. And the surfside, florida, reunion whats being called a small we have an update on the surfside, florida, Condo Collapse Search teams have recovered more victims from the rubble. The Death Toll, now, at least 86 people meanwhile, a Downtown Miami Courthouse has been evacuated and closed, amid Safety Concerns following an inspection on that structure. And one bit of good news, today. A family that survived the collapse found out their cat was alive. Discovered wandering nearby, two weeks after the building came down. President carter and his wife rosalynn were honored today at a special anniversary celebration. They marked 75 years of marriage this Week And Today about 300 guests including the clintons and entertainers like Garth Brooks Gathere to throw them a party in their hometown of plains, georgia. The carters have been married longer than any other first Couple Rosalynn says she wouldnt have it any, other way. I didnt like boys and then, along came jimmy carter and my lifes been an adventure, ever since. Thank you. Just beautiful. A popular ride at a Michigan Carnival is closed, today, after a terrifying malfunction. It happened in Traverse City thursday night. Look at the bottom of the ride you can see it start to tilt and come off the ground there the ride kept going, but bystanders Rushed In, as you see, to hang on and keep it steady, until they could get everyone off. Have you noticed, lately, that you have to ask clerks in some stores to unlock everyday items like toothpaste, soap, and razors well, its because of shoplifters who are growing more and more brazen in their theft. Jake ward has the story. Reporter in california, a pack of thieves flees with armfuls of stolen merchandise. Security tags, still, attached in washington, a coordinated attack on store shelves. In new york, another group strikes. Turn around on your Face Reporter but this isnt just shoplifting. This Isnt Candy bars this is hundreds of dollars of merchandise. What we are really seeing is the growth of organizedretail crime. They prey on vulnerable folks so they will go to a juvenile theyll go to a homeless person. Theyll say heres A Hundred bucks. Here is a list of things we need you to go in and steal. Reporter criminals often resell stolen goods online or even return them for gift cards. In san francisco, we filmed this Open Market where police have said stolen items are offered up, each morning. If you are a majornational retailer facing a shoplifting epidemic, what do you do well, here in san francisco, six target stores are going to try to reduce their exposure by limiting their operating hours. Walgreens closed 17 locations, in the last five years, blaming this sort of Theft Retailers have reported roughly 60 increase in dollars lost since 2015. They point to several factors. Reduced staffing during the pandemic and low morale new Handsoff Store policies and lower penalties. California, for instance, raised the threshold for a felony charge, from 450, to 950 in stolen goods some people calculate, hey, you know, i dont want to go over the 950 so let me steal 949 worth of property. Reporter san franciscos Police Chief says that means the stores have to be willing to detain someone. If its a felony, our officers can take action but if its a misdemeanor, that arrest has to be a private persons Arrest Reporter retailers now keep even lowcost items under lock and key. Customers are forced to buzz associates for everyday items, from toothpaste to Hair Products to that six pack of beer in the end, theft hurts more than the bottom line. You can always deal with the the loss, on your balance sheet. But what were finding now is our employees are feeling threatened our customers are feeling threatened and we really dont want that to happen reporter jacob ward, nbc news, san francisco. When we come back. The man driven to help his community one free car at a time. One of the quickest things is checking this out there is good News Tonight about serving those in need and the smalltown Restaurant Owner driving real change in his community by putting people back behind the Steering Wheel Elliot Middletons Barbecue ribs are famous in the small town in South Carolina. Can you check outside for one slab of Rib Reporter he is the Chef And Coowner of Middleton And Maker restaurant, just north of charleston. But he is also a trained mechanic i wake up with energy i wake up with this drive to just to just do. Reporter and he spends his days off fixing and donating cars for people in need a critical calling in a rural town with few options. No ubers, no taxis, no Bus Services or anything like that around the area. You need to go to the grocery store, you need to go to doctors appointments you need to go to a pharmacist, cars are important out here reporter helping people get reliable transportation was an idea he had while hosting a Thanksgiving Food Drive back in 2019. Im seeing at least 30 to 40 individuals not going to cars at all. Just walking they woke up two hours earlier to take an Hour Hike to try to get here just to get in line to get food. Elliot took Action Posting on Social Media asking for donations of old or brokendown cars and parts for him to refurbish, free of charge. How yall doing im fine yes, Sir Elliot Middleton this is Car Number 100. All right. We were there just yesterday when one got dropped off. So far, elliot has repaired, restored, and donated 33 vehicles the drive to help others, a way to honor his late father kevin. If you ask anybody about him, they always say, like, that was a man that always helped somebody out, if he could. Thank you so very much. Yes, maam. Thank God Reporter for melanie lee, Elliots Gift was a godsend. Ive just burst into tears burst into tears and tears of joy tears of gratefulness, Thankfulness Reporter after daily twohour drives to visit her son brian in a hospital, her car broke down and elliot fixed it. When i heard about that story, i was like, okay, thats a person that needs to have this car. Reporter a legacy of Service And Dedication to helping his community. Its a Lifechanging Experience and i enjoy what i do. And i am glad that i am able to help families, you know, change their lives how does elliot find the people who need help . He says its both Social Media and a lot of Word Of Mouth in his tightknit community. That is Nbc Nightly News, for this saturday im Kate Snow. Thank you so much for joining us i will see you back here tomorrow. Stay safe. Have a great Night Clbz right now at 6 00, people still trying to cool off at this hour as the Bay Area bakes under intense heat. The news at 6 00 starts right now. Thank you so much for joining us. Im garvin thomas. Terry is off tonight. A live look right now at walnut creek, one of the places that reached well into the hundreds today. In fact temperatures still over 100 even at 6 00. Meteorologist Rob Mayeda is tracking it all. By far the worst of the heat in the inlast inland east valley. Humidity down to 12 , 99 degrees in livermore. The incredible spread of our Bay Area microclimates, 49 degrees the separation between that 56 in pacifica and earlier, the 105 degrees in fairfield thats now cooled, if you want to call it that, down to 103. Notice the cooling. San francisco, oakland, into san jose. Enough of a marine Layer Influence to keep most of the Heat Inland for the Inland East Bay and areas