why your favorite stores may not have the gifts you are shopping for this year. >> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt good evening breaking tonight, the fda authorizing covid booster shots of the pfizer vaccine, but keeping with an outside advisory panel's recommendation only giving the green light for that third shot for people 65 and up or at high risk currently there are 182 million fully vaccinated people in the united states. though, adding boosters potentially changes the definition of fully vaccinated the late-day decision by the fda still leaving some confusion as it only pertains to the pfizer vaccine. for now the j&j and moderna vaccines are not up for review the white house first raised expectations of boosters for everyone, getting ahead of the fda. stephanie gosk reports. >> reporter: tonight a decision on the pfizer booster. the fda authorizing a third shot for people over 65 or at high risk it will only apply for those who received the pfizer vaccine, not those who got moderna or johnson & johnson. >> this is not the situation we want to be where people are eligible or not eligible based on which vaccine they got. i think it will be helpful for the fda and the cdc to come out with broader guidance across a range of vaccine >> reporter: keith albert is anxious to get his booster. he got the johnson & johnson vaccine earlier this year >> i'm a little frustrated i would guess that j&j, they would come out with it but it doesn't look too promising just yet. >> reporter: but others aren't waiting. an unknown number have already gotten unauthorized boosters with little oversight to stop them dr. peter, an internist at mass general says he's been bombarded by patients who want an extra dose. >> it does put physicians in an awkward situation because people do come to us and sort of say - they're desperate. they're scared and they want to get a booster. and who do they call they call their physician friend and say how do i gain the system. >> reporter: meantime, international pressure has been growing on the u.s. not to widely distribute booster shots while much of the world still waits for first doses. during a virtual covid summit today, president biden announced the u.s. will buy half a billion pfizer vaccines and donate them to low-income countries calling the pandemic an all hands on deck global situation. >> i'm proud that we've gone from two million americans being fully vaccinated when i first took office on january 20th to 182 million and counting today in america but we also know that to beat the pandemic here we need to beat it everywhere. >> stephanie, we also got news today that maybe we have hit the peak of this current surge. >> yeah, lester this is good news nbc news data showing that we may have hit the peak last week, that seven out of the last eight days' cases have dropped. that's the longest sustained decline that we have seen in three months. >> nice to have some good news to report on all this. stephanie, thanks very much. now to that migrant camp on the texas border which is getting smaller tonight. we learned thousands of migrants have been released into the u.s morgan chesky is there. >> reporter: tonight on the texas border, these are the faces of those who don't know what tomorrow holds. our crew given rare access to the camp more than 5,000 haitian migrants still call home. and this has been the closest we have been allowed to get to this camp and as we look this direction, it is hard to believe some of these men, women and children have been beneath this very bridge for more than a week trying to create whatever shelter they can to stay cool. everyone's future here incredibly uncertain just two days ago, homeland security secretary mayorkas with this public warning to migrants >> if you come to the united states illegally, you will be returned. >> reporter: dhs officials tonight telling nbc news thousands of migrants who were under that bridge have been released into the united states. many given notices to appear at an immigration center within 60 days to get a court date or an asylum hearing. just yesterday, mayorkas was pressed for specifics on the surge. >> how many people have been returned how many people are being detained how many people have been dispersed to all points around america? >> senator, i would be pleased to provide you with that data. >> i want that now why don't you have that information now? >> senator, i do not have that data. >> why not >> reporter: back on the border, law enforcement doubling down. so this is where pretty much everyone came across >> right. >> reporter: the dam where thousands crossed now empty. but texas state trooper cars lining the river banks. dps tells us up to 600 haitian migrants are now making their way towards del rio. but it's the other areas that have them worried. >> the biggest concern right now is that we have individuals that we don't know who they are, where they're coming from, but they're crossing into our country. >> reporter: and tonight we have seen government records suggesting with a few of these migrants may go. the administration seeking a private contractor to operate a detention facility at guantanamo bay. with specific rules guards need to speak spanish or haitian creole lester >> morgan chesky, thank you. president biden admitted to his french counter part today that the u.s. could have been more open about a submarine deal that left the french out and left them furious as well. peter alexander is at the white house. peter, this all happened on a phone call today we understand. >> reporter: yeah, lester, that's right this call the first time president biden and the french president macron have spoken since this dispute about a submarine deal france accused the u.s. of a stab in the back, even recalling its ambassador tonight the white house says that president biden acknowledged the u.s. could have done a better job consulting france, its oldest ally macron says the french ambassador will return to washington next week, but the two leaders will meet next month. it is the latest challenge for president biden who tonight hosted several meetings here with democrats trying to iron out these deep divisions with his own party over how to proceed with massive infrastructure and social spending plans lester, this is a critical moment for his agenda. >> peter alexander at the white house, thanks. in louisville, kentucky today a gunman opened fire at a school bus stop killing one teenager and wounding two others this comes as gun violence against children is rising across the country here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: tonight, police in louisville, kentucky are searching for this vehicle after a drive-by gunman shot three teens at a bus stop. one of them a 16-year-old, died. >> my nephew had his whole life ahead of him and he was destined for greatness. >> reporter: the city's police chief outraged >> well, we can't sit here our thumb's up our [ bleep ] and do nothing different and think we won't be back at this podium. >> reporter: in chicago yesterday, three kids were among 15 people shot in d.c., five people hit, including a 13-year-old. >> when someone brazenly fires into a crowd of people, striking five people, innocent people in this instance, that's unacceptab >> reporter: across the country more children and teens being caught in the cross fire gunshot injuries at pediatric trauma centers are up in fort worth, memphis and hartford, connecticut. >> we have never seen this much of an increase over an extended period of time. >> reporter: last year more than 5,100 kids shot nationwide at least 1,300 of them died this year firearm deaths are up 13% overall and more children and teens have been shot than at the same time last year why do you think that is >> there has been a surge in gun sales we saw with the pandemic we've seen that. the pandemic we saw people released from prison the courts have been closed i think all of these things together contributing to the number of children we're seeing who are injured by guns. >> reporter: the family of the louisville teenager who died today says he was not targeted police have not identified a suspect. lester >> gabe, thank you. in florida, a huge pain staking search goes on tonight for the fiancée of gabby petito one day after her body was identified also tonight a new statement from a witness who saw the couple arguing while on the road. catie beck has the latest >> reporter: tonight the search of the swamp continues, a massive man hut for brian laundrie, now a person of interest in the homicide investigation of his fiance gabby petito. >> we are trying to cover every acre in this preserve. >> reporter: all 25,000 of them the vast area now a grid search by all-terrain vehicles, k-9s and dive teams so far, no sign of laudrie who headed there a week ago with a backpack, according to his parents. >> you can't keep chocolate in utah >> reporter: they had been documenting their trip since august laundrie returned without petito september 1st. her family reporting her missing ten days later >> what's going on >> reporter: newly released police report shedding more light on the couple's dispute while on the road gentleman was slapping the girl. >> reporter: a witness statement from a second person who saw the altercation telling police something seemed off officers stopped and questioned the couple, but no charges were filed. karen lives across the street from the laundrie's florida home and recalls watching the couple as they outfitted their van for the trip. >> seems like your normal, young couple just hanging out. >> reporter: laundrie would routinely go on walks with his parents. sometimes with gabby, too, who previously lived with them are you surprised he didn't contact the authorities sooner >> i can't imagine my kid saying i'm going for a hike and two days later he's still not home to me i would have been on the phone within hours of him not coming home. >> reporter: tonight with laundrie still missing, petito's family no closer to the answers they so desperately seek >> do authorities feel like they're getting closer to finding mr. laundrie >> reporter: well, lester, investigators had several potential leads come up short now the fbi is asking the public to give them any information they may have about his whereabouts. search teams here today haven't come up with anything yet, but they say they will be back tomorrow to do it all again. lester >> catie beck, thank you. in just 60 seconds, the unfolding disaster as an exploding volcano forces thousands to evacuate. and my exclusive interview with former vice president al gore his urgent new warnings about climate change back now with a disaster unfolding in the canary islands a huge volcanic eruption sending lava down a mountain in la palma consuming homes. triggering mass evacuations. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: as spectacular as it is dangerous, tonight the ongoing volcanic eruptions on the small spanish island of la palma are triggering a unstoppable, slow-motion disaster for four days, fountains of fire have spewed hundreds of feet high, rivers of bright red lava pouring into pools and engulfing homes. 20-foot high waves of molton rock consuming and covering neighborhoods in their path. >> we feared for our lives. we were running into the house just packing the documents. >> reporter: preceded by a 4.2 earthquake, the eruption continues to crack open fissures and volcanic vents as tremors rattle the canary islands. the sky filled with massive fumes of smoke and sulfur, forcing 6,000 to evacuate and now the scramble to save animals as 200 homes are destroyed. >> reporter: the 1,800 degree lava now flowing downhill towards the populated coastline and perhaps with the most significant threat still ahead. tonight this incredible display of nature's fury could be weeks, even months away from its fiery end. miguel almaguer, nbc news. tonight we're hearing from the man who sounded the alarm about our climate crisis with "the inconvenient truth. former vice president al gore joining me for an exclusive conversation today about what was predicted in that film 15 years ago and what is reality today as part of our series climate challenge. they are just some of the defining moments of a changing planet, the unrelenting fires, 19 named storms striking the u.s. since last year, the record and deadly floods in the wake of hurricane ida just weeks ago. like something straight out of a movie, because it was. >> and that is what is at stake our ability to live on planet earth. >> are you ever tempted to say, i told you so? >> oh, gosh, i wish that i had been wrong i wish the scientists whose work i was simply conveying had been wrong. but they weren't wrong. >> reporter: the 2006 oscar-winning film "an inconvenient truth" featuring al gore painted a disturbing portrait of the future, super storms, melting icecaps, rising temperatures is this crisis unfolding more quickly than you would have anticipated? >> this is unfolding faster than the scientists warned us, and now they're telling us we've got to prepare for much worse unless we take action quickly. >> on this broadcast, only yesterday we looked at the situation in guatemala. drought is forcing farmers who can no longer raise their crops to consider migrating to the united states. how is the geopolitical map being changed by climate change >> one expert commission predicted that if we don't change course, there would be up to one billion climate refugees in the balance of this century. and that's politically destabilizing. >> china says it will stop financing the construction of coal-fired plants. is that a significant step how do you view that >> i think it's very significant, lester, because china has been financing 70% of all the coal plants being built outside of china so for them to cutoff that financing finally is a very good step. >> gore believes minds have been changed. >> i think mother nature has been the most persuasive advocate one out of three americans has personally experienced just this year one of these climate-related extreme weather disasters. and everybody gets the point, that they're becoming more frequent and they're becoming more severe. >> more with my conversation with al gore. up next for us tonight, why retailers are starting to hoard for the holidays what you need to know. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ we don't yet know who won last night's $432 million mega millions jackpot, but we do know where the winning ticket was sold, a pizzeria in new york city just yards away from our studio here in rockefeller center it looks like everyone on the crew is accounted for tonight. the pizzeria will get a slice, a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. in the price you pay, the holiday shopping wars have already arrived. this year small businesses are feeling the squeeze. stephanie ruhle explains why >> reporter: catherine owns three toy stores in chicago. >> we are celebrating 25 years next month >> reporter: but this year she's facing shortages like never before supply chain backlogs are making it hard to get products on the shelves. and with the holidays coming up, there is no time to waste. >> i'm begging, e-mailing, texting the vendors, doing whatever it is i could cajole them to ship me products. >> reporter: are you now hoarding products in anticipation of shipping delays? >> absolutely i am. >> reporter: major retailers are facing backlogs, too, but to avoid extra delays in items made in other countries, companies like target, walmart, ikea are chartering their own private cargo vessels and ordering larger quantities of items they know will be in demand >> so retailers are turning their vessel to invest in their consumer consumers are expecting that products are there come holiday season. >> reporter: but if these container ships set sail, ports in places like los angeles and long beach are becoming increasingly congested with wait times lasting over a week. >> so if they are chartering their own vessels, it's going to hurt the backlog right now, there are only so many container terminals that can off load vessels, and it is very much a pay to play. >> reporter: which makes it hard for small business owners like catherine, who knows she will be having tough conversations about out of stock items with customers this season. >> i have never put out a holiday catalog that i wasn't certain i would have 100% of the items in the catalog and this year, 15% or 20% of those products in there we won't ever see. >> reporter: her advice >> you really like it? really think that your kid is going to want it, get it >> are companies paying more to get their products shipped quicker? >> they sure are many of these large retailers can pay up to ten times the regular price to ship products here yet still they're struggling, which means small businesses can't compete. for consumers, if your top priorities are low price and fast shipping, this is probably not going to be your year but if you like to say that shopping and buying local and small is important, then make this the year you actually commit to doing it. >> and move quickly, i guess. >> absolutely. >> thank you. up next our tribute to a beloved hollywood star finally tonight, the tributes are pouring in for a beloved tv star gone too soon. here's anne thompson >> reporter: character actor willie garson added panache to every scene. >> how can you not have a shrink this is manhattan. even the shrinks have shrinks. >> reporter: most famously in "sex in the city". >> we all judge. that's our hobby. some people do arts and crafts we judge >> reporter: as carrie bradshaw's best male friend and flamboyant fashion guru stanford black >> oh, my gosh she's fashion road kill >> reporter: the 57-year-old's death stunning the cast of the reboot airing later this year. kristin davis, who plays charlotte writing, we are bereft without him. mario cantone, his series husband, describing garson as a gift from the god. born in new jersey, garson appeared in 70 movies. including "there is something about mary." >> remember mary >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: and 300 tv episodes >> reporter: stealing scenes in usa's "white collar. >> i was never here. >> reporter: but when asked to name his biggest accomplishment - >> in my life? i adopted my son. >> reporter: garson used his fame to advocate for adoption his 20-year-old son nathan offering this tribute to his father online. i'm glad you shared your love with me. i'll never forget it or lose it willie garson leaving the world with this piece of advice: be kind to each other always. anne thompson, nbc news new york. that's "nightly news" for this wednesday thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other good night i'm raj mathai. next on nbc bay area news tonight, private text messages now public. the newly released tex texts from elizabeth holmes as her trial heats up in the silicon valley. and the former u.s. defense secretary who took the stand today. also, we investigated and uncovered problems at a south bay hospital. tonight changes are under way. the resignation that could bring accountability. and you doing enough to conserve water? we break down the new numbers from the state and show you which local communities are failing the grade.

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