washington, d.c. for a game of checkers at the site of our nation's capital you rarely see on tv. this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. across america reporting tonight from washington, d.c. >> good evening from washington, d.c. on day three of our journey across america where i spoke to the country's top military leader about a world growing more dangerous. we'll get to that in a few moments. but tonight we also happen to be standing in the shadow of our top story, the election for governor in neighboring virginia the win by republican glenn youngkin over democrat terry mcauliffe has democrats licking wounds and looking for something or someone to blame as president biden observes another political body blow. the president returning from europe overnight. his legislative priorities at home still in limbo and now facing his party's loss of a key state house with another that's been hanging by a thread all day kristin welker leads our coverage >> reporter: tonight president biden responding to that urgent wakeup call for democrats. republican businessman glenn youngkin's stunning win in the virginia's governor race over democrat terry mcauliffe. >> how much responsibility do you take for the dismal results in virginia. >> i was talking to terry to congratulate him today. he got 600,000 more votes than any democrat had ever gotten. >> reporter: just yesterday mr. biden had predicted a mcauliffe victory. >> we're going to win. >> reporter: tonight the blame game among democrats beginning. some pointing to the failure to pass president biden's multi-trillion dollar spending plan. >> democrats control both houses. you have to act like it and get results >> reporter: we pressed the president. did you think that terry mcauliffe would have won if your agenda would have passed before election day. >> i think it should have passed before election day, but i'm not sure that i would be able to have changed the number of very conservative folks who turned out in the red districts who were trump voters. but maybe. >> all righty, virginia we won this thing! >> reporter: youngkin's win widely viewed as a rebuke of mr. biden in a state the president won a year ago by ten points but in exit polls 54% of virginians now saying they disapprove of mr. biden's performance. voters top issue, the economy. youngkin also galvanizing support with culture war issues like education while mcauliffe tried repeatedly to link youngkin to former president trump. >> i have beaten trump twice in virginia. tomorrow we go 3-0. >> reporter: that strategy failed with youngkin keeping his distance, never appearing with the former president and in new jersey, another blow to democrats. in a deep blue state, president biden won by 16 points, the republican defeated the republican governor >> if you are a democrat and president biden won your state by 16 points, you are in a competitive race next year. you are no longer safe >> kristin, where does that leave the vote on president biden's spending plan? >> reporter: well, lester, some democrats say the results show they need to vote quickly. but key moderate holdout joe manchin called the outcome in virginia unbelievable and said democrats need to take their time and do it right lester >> kristin welker at the white house, thank you. you heard kristin mention those cultural issues youngkin seized on that may have been key to his victory, appealing to voters concerned about schools and other issues that affect their families antonia hylton has more. >> reporter: in virginia, the democrats lost not just the election, but the culture wars, too. >> we will change the trajectory of this commonwealth. >> reporter: republican glenn youngkin winning back suburban voters. by honing in on issues like abortion, mask mandates and education. >> we have to make sure we have the right people doing the right things for our education. >> reporter: youngkin targeting the theory over critical race theory, which is not taught in virginia schools. but the issue becoming a lightening rod for conservatives and taking center stage in school board meetings across the country, including southlake, texas. >> i don't believe in black lives matter all lives matter i have put three kids through school here. there is no more racism here than anywhere else. >> reporter: voters here delivered a landslide victory to conservative school board candidate andrew yeager who works in ad sales for nbc universal. he campaigned against the district's plan for new diversity training programs initiated after a 2018 video of students chanting the n word went viral. >> because you do not believe that there is systemic racism in southlake, it does not exist. because we know it not to be true. >> reporter: last night's victory gives the conservative leaning school board the power to officially kill the controversial diversity plan are school boards going to continue to set the tone for what we see happening in state and national-level politics >> i think school boards are going to be the symbol of this debate republicans believe that the reason they made a comeback in virginia is tackling these parental right issues when it comes to schools so i do think they will go full bore into that the question i have is how will democrats fight back. >> reporter: as local issues energize voters and break into the national conversation. antonia hylton, nbc news across the country tonight, children 5 to 11 years old are now getting the covid vaccine. tens of millions are eligible this as the cdc said today more than 700 kids under age 18 have died from covid. with more, here's tom costello. >> reporter: just minutes after the cdc approved the pfizer children's vaccine last night, kids were rolling up their sleeves. >> i can be back to normal in my classroom. >> reporter: with doses arriving by the hour, hospitals and clinics nationwide are today in full vaccination mode at children's national hospital in d.c., eight-year-old carter with type one diabetes was among the first at risk kids to get the shot with therapy dog barney by his side >> all done. good job >> reporter: since day one of the pandemic, his parents have limited his exposure to other kids. >> we do everything we can to protect our kids, but it's been 600 long days, and -- and things can start to go back to normal. >> reporter: in houston, texas children's hospital working through more than 36,000 appointments to vaccinate 5 to 11-year-olds. >> it kind of hurt, i guess. >> reporter: cameron emanuel with her mom, sonja. >> my whole family has been fully vaccinated, and so she was the last one that had not been. >> reporter: but a recent kizer family study found most parents won't get their kids immediately vaccinated many concerned about potentially unknown side effects. >> i let him get vaccinated for all the other things, but this i just don't trust. >> reporter: but today the cdc director herself a mother insisted this vaccine is among the most thoroughly reviewed ever. >> we have thoroughly reviewed all of the available safety, immunogenicity and efficacy data before recommending this vaccine for your child. >> reporter: back in washington, how do you feel >> halfway vaccinated. >> reporter: eight-year-old carter already looking forward to his second dose >> and tom costello joining me now a lot of parents seem to be distracted by what they're reading online about this. >> reporter: there are a lot of stories on the internet that the vaccine may injure children or it may cause infertility. a lot of experts say there is simply no evidence of that and they're encouraging parenting that are concerned reach out to your own pediatrician and nurse practitioner to learn how to keep your child safe. >> all right tom costello tonight thank you. now to our journey across america bringing us here to washington and to the exclusive interview with the chairman of the joint chiefs, general mark milley as part of the aspen security forum where i press general milley about the chaotic u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan, the new terror threat in those recent dramatic headlines out of china. my exclusive interview coming at a critical time after it was reported china had tested a hypersonic missile that at first orbited the earth. what general mark milley recently suggested is close to a sputnik moment i think a lot of us were alarmed by your alarm over it. >> they are clearly challenging us regionally, and their aspiration is to challenge the united states globally. >> do we have the capability to match what we just saw from china? >> well, i won't go into anything classified as to what our specific capabilities are or what theirs are, for that matter. but i will just say that that test that occurred was a very significant test we're witnessing one of the largest shifts in global geostrategic power that the world has witnessed. if we, the united states military, don't do a fundamental change to ourselves in the coming 10 to 15 to 20 years, then we're going to be on the wrong side of conflict. >> then there is the potential u.s. clash with china over taiwan is it your belief that china is preparing to make a move on taiwan in the near future >> the chinese are clearly and unambiguously building the capability to provide those options to the national leadership they chose at some point in the future but near future, probably not but anything can happen. >> u.s. officials tell nbc news in war games simulating an american defense of taiwan, u.s. forces have not been able to win a conventional war with the chinese. do we have the capability to defend taiwan >> we absolutely have the capability there is no question about that. >> critics say chinese action against taiwan is more likely now after the chaotic and deadly u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan where the u.s. left americans and thousands of afghan allies behind. do you think that china, other adversaries have been emboldened by the perception that the u.s. was not there for one of its allies. >> they may or may not have interpreted like that if they did, it is a misinterpretation. we gave a lot to afghanistan. i would caution any country that thinks that the united states is in any manner, shape or form weak or anything like that that would be a bad call. >> and milley with new warnings about the potential terror attacks here including from isis reconstituting in afghanistan. are they capable of striking us on u.s. homeland >> my own personal estimate is that the conditions are likely to be set for reconstituted isis or al-qaeda and i gave out windows of time six months and i gave it out to 36 months. does that mean they will attack the united states maybe. maybe not. that depends. >> i asked about the controversy and the criticism over milley's comments in that book by bob woodward and robert costa. several republicans calling on milley to resign you became a bit of a lightening rod recently we saw that in your appearances before congress can you tell us how that has impacted your job and if you have any regrets over being as forthcoming as you were with woodward >> well, i'm a soldier, and i serve at the pleasure of the president. when the president no longer finds me useful, then i move on until that day, i just continue to serve the country and serve the constitution and drive on >> part of my conversation with general milley here in washington in just 60 seconds, the stunning new allegations about that deadly shooting on a movie set. the supreme court heard arguments today. the most important gun rights case in years how much protection does the second amendment provide for carrying guns in public gun rights advocates sued new york, which bans carrying a handgun openly and makes it hard to carry a concealed weapon a majority of the court seemed to agree that new york's law is unconstitutional there is a new twist in that deadly shooting on the set of an alec baldwin movie. attorneys for the crew member in charge of guns making some shocking new allegations of sabotage we get more from miguel almaguer. >> reporter: it was no accident on the set of "rust. that's the stunning and explosive claim from the attorneys representing hannah gutierrez-reed, who suggest a live bullet was purposefully planted with dummy and blank rounds, resulting in the death of the film's cinematographer. are you suggesting this is a case of sabotage >> the answer is conclusively and unequivocally yes. >> reporter: the attorneys representing the movie's armorer confirm the 24-year-old did check the revolver for ammo before the assistant director dave halls gave the gun to alec baldwin. but they say she could not easily tell the difference between blanks and the real bullet in the chamber. >> a dummy round looks very, very similar to a live regular round it's got a projectile tip. g a primer. >> reporter: on the set, the gun sat unattended on a cart for two and a half hours, the attorneys alleged, when someone tampered with the ammo. >> she tried to do her best now, she couldn't be around the cart 24/7 there were other assistants that were supposed to be watching the weapons when she could not be. >> reporter: with no proof of the new allegations and no charges filed, they sheriffs says gutierrez-reed and halls remain the focus of the investigation. >> i went to work every day unwittingly playing a game of russian roulette. >> reporter: camera assistant lane looper resigned hours before the fatal shooting >> everybody right now is trying to reach for answers. allegations like that, they just seem irresponsible and shortsighted and - and lame and, quite frankly, offensive. >> reporter: the production company has not responded to the new allegations. tonight new accounts of the deadly shooting as those at the center of the investigation shift blame. miguel almaguer, nbc news up next, our exclusive interview with bill gates about what he says about climate change and the next industrial revolution back now with our nbc news exclusive bill gates fresh off his feet to the un climate summit the billionaire appearing after his share of controversy back home. he spoke with anne thompson. >> bill gates. [ applause ] >> reporter: at the climate change conference, bill gates challenging the world to act >> together we must drive a green innovation revolution. >> reporter: the green industrial revolution that you spoke of, 30 years from now, what does that look like? >> well, it means when you tour a field plant, it won't look the way it does today. the way that beef gets made, the whole agricultural sector would have been changed. >> reporter: can businesses do it on its own? >> well, we need to have a government policy that incents this activity. unless you can incent it, the idea of just dumping the pollution into the atmosphere, it's simpler, it's cheaper to do it that way. >> reporter: is president biden doing enough to lead on climate change >> we're at a cross roads where these two bills, the infrastructure and reconciliation bills, if those get through, the u.s. will move into a strong leadership role where we'll be using our power of innovation. we'll be creating new industries if those two bills don't get through, i would say the u.s. is very disappointing. >> reporter: gates declined to address recent headlines that as chairman of microsoft company directors had to tell him to stop sending inappropriate e-mails to a female employee. what is your response to that? >> yeah. i'm here to talk about climate. >> reporter: gates spokesperson previously denied the report the fourth richest person in the world did respond to the recently floated and now defunct proposal for a billionaires' tax to help fund his expansion of the social safety net. would you object to a billionaire's tax? >> the one that they were talking about, you know, i personally think that would be fine. >> reporter: gates remains optimistic that the climate crisis can be solved can innovation stop the worst effects of climate change >> yes now, any single innovation has a chance of failure, so you have to fund a lot of different approaches >> reporter: the bill & melinda gates foundation is providing $315 million to help small farmers in the developing world adapt to climate change the toughest challenge, he says, humanity has faced anne thompson, nbc news scotland. and up next for us tonight, beyond official washington, we'll take a look at the fabric of this city we're back in washington, d.c. but not in front of the typical symbols of power you are used to seeing in the shadow of those famous landmarks are the homes of some diverse neighborhoods home to 690,000 people the city just 68 square miles beyond official washington, you will find plenty of other places worth exploring from the u street corridor in northwest d.c. known as washington's black broadway for its historic arts and music legacy to row houses and popular gathering spots like the union market and right on capitol hill, the eastern market part of my journey today took me to the adams morgan neighborhood where i was happy to see one of my childhood favorites, checkers, getting some respect they're part of the heart and soul of washington a brotherhood, a bond over checkers. >> it's a great opportunity to meet a lot of gentleman from the '80s to the '20s. >> reporter: at the capitol pool checkers association, most members don't go by their real name. >> my nickname is never give up. >> lucky, the one and only >> buster the blaster. >> reporter: everyone has a nickname in this club yours is z man the club has been around for almost 40 years. last year losing their lease in their old, now gentrifying neighborhood and then -- you guys had a long tradition and then the pandemic, you know, turned the world upside down and your world, too, right? >> absolutely. around the same time, we were in danger of losing the club and the covid situation complicated the matter even further >> they had nowhere to go until a community group stepped in, finding them a new home in a new part of d.c. the club's new property manager. >> they want to be part of the community. they want to engage with neighbors on this street and that is what we need more of in washington, d.c. >> they have already attracted a mixed group of new players passing on their secrets like z man showing me it's not the substance but often the style of your game that counts most >> it's your move, but it's your last move. >> so is talking smack part of this >> it is it is the most important part >> first time i played in years and, boy, did he smoke me. tomorrow our journey continues in nashville, where we will take a look at the pandemic's impact on schools and take in some of the best of music city that's "nightly news" for this wednesday thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. and so long from washington when it comes to flooring, i'm hard to please. so, i go to floor & decor where i find every imaginable tile, wood, laminate or stone without compromising my design. cause one aisle doesn't cut it. i need an entire store. explore floor & decor in person or online. ♪ 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 ♪ welcome to this world. you have some big shoes to fill. lots of new introductions. ...4 ounces... so many new toys. it's not going to be easy. but, together, we got this. kaiser permanente. thrive. i'm raj mathai, next tonight a lot of major stories unfolding at this hour. some parents are ready to go but others are still hesitant. we're listening to your concerns about getting 5 to 11-year-olds vaccinated. we have our trusted covid experts to answer your questions. the surprise announcement, buster posey is retiring. why now? we'll be joined by former giants' pitcher sean estes. hastings confronted the racist past with the founder. "the new york times" reporter that prompted the law school to change its name. thanks for joining us. this is nbc bay

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