resign, even within his own party, after he was indicted for bribery. gold bars and stacks of cash allegedly found in his home. his explanation for where that money came from. the deadline now just days away to avoid a government shutdown. what kevin mccarthy said today as gop hard-liners hold up a deal. and what it means for the government services millions depend on. the new numbers coming in. crossings at the border back at record highs. the images. why border patrol is seen removing razor wire. the emotional return. some lahaina homeowners allowed back in for the first time since the deadly wildfires. the new clues and the new hope from those who believe they're suffering from long covid. and our nbc news exclusive. bruce willis's wife, emma, sharing a heartbreaking update on the actor's battle against dementia. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome. in this season of labor discontent stretching from auto assembly lines to film lots it appears tonight that one major strike may be nearing its end. the writers guild and reps for hollywood studios report they have reached a tentative deal that if quickly ratified could return some writers to the job within days after being sidelined since may. the two sides still hammering out the fine points of the deal believed to reflect the impacts of burgeoning technologies, ai and streaming. but potentially complicating a return to work, the fate of hollywood actors. their union, sag-aftra, still striking tonight without a deal. and even a swift end to the writers' walkout may be too late to save the majority of the fall tv season. miguel almaguer reports from los angeles. >> reporter: in its last chapter tonight the writers' strike is getting its hollywood ending. [ cheers ] after nearly five months on the picket line a tentative deal between the writers guild and the alliance that represents major studios means a big step towards resuming stalled productions. but the deal is still private as the wga tells members, "though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last i is dotted." >> it's expected that'll happen very quickly. but i am hearing from people who have seen what the deal is and people who have heard what the deal is, they're very happy. >> reporter: finally flipping the script on a nearly 150-day walkout. it's believed writers will earn higher residuals from streaming shows and gain better protections from scripts written using ai that could threaten future jobs. >> this is not about people in -- you know, drinking tropical drinks, driving jaguars. we're talking about the middle class of our union and we're just trying to keep our head above water. >> reporter: after shutting down studios across tinsel town writers at late-night and daytime talk shows could return to work in just a matter of days. but new episodes of your favorite scripted shows may not be back on the air until january. the wga now encouraging its members to join actors and its union sag-aftra, who remains on the picket lines, fighting for some of the very same benefits. >> i feel like the momentum is there, the vibe is there, the studios and streamers are locked in to make a deal, and everybody wants to find a way they can get people back to work, get paychecks showing up in bank accounts. >> reporter: tonight as actors are left waiting for their cue writers are set to ink their deal. [ cheers ] >> and miguel joins us from los angeles. miguel, does the writers' deal mean potential progress for the actors' agreement? >> reporter: that's the hope, lester. since both sides share similar fights, the writers' agreement could serve as a template to help settle the actors' strike. as for the writers, leadership will be taking a vote on the offer as early as tomorrow. then it could go to a union for a whole for ratification, lester. >> miguel almaguer in california. thank you. three days after he was indicted on bribery charges new jersey senator bob menendez said today he has no intention of stepping down as he faces what he called the biggest fight yet. chief justice contributor jonathan dienst has late details. >> senator, do you think -- >> reporter: a defiant senator bob menendez walked in to face a crush of cameras as an accused criminal. >> when all of the facts are presented, not only will i be exonerated but i still will be the new jersey senior senator. >> reporter: slamming prosecutors' case. >> the allegations leveled against me are just that. allegations. >> reporter: allegations of an illegal bribery scheme. according to the indictment, the new jersey democrat and his wife took gold bars, a mercedes, and piles of cash to help three new jersey businessmen and the egyptian government. menendez explaining the nearly half million dollars in cash prosecutors found stuffed in his jacket pockets and elsewhere around his home this way. >> for 30 years i have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which i have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in cuba. >> reporter: his democratic colleague senator john fetterman posted in response, "we have an extra flashlight for our home emergencies." menendez made no mention of the gold bars or the mercedes the indictment says the couple also accepted in bribes. and as for allegations he passed sensitive information to the egyptian government? >> my record is clear and consistent in holding egypt accountable. >> reporter: president biden has not weighed in but top new jersey politicians including the governor and some members of congress are calling on him to step down. along now with a well-known new york democrat. >> the situation is quite unfortunate, but i do believe it is in the best interests for senator menendez to resign in this moment. >> jonathan joins me here in the studio. two senate democrats are now calling for him to resign as well. >> reporter: that's right, lester. and new jersey congressman, democratic congressman andy kim says he will now run in a primary against him. this as menendez, his wife and their co-defendants are all due in court wednesday and will plead not you guilty. >> jonathan, thank you. the federal government could shut down just five days from now unless congress passes a stopgap funding bill. with little progress to report, garrett haake looks at the tough consequences some americans will face if a shutdown happens. >> reporter: at a washington warehouse volunteers are preparing for the practical impact of the political impasse looming five miles south on capitol hill. >> we know that when budgets are stretched food is the first thing to go. >> reporter: the capitol area food bank is now planning for a possible surge of 100,000 people in the d.c. region needing food assistance soon if the government shuts down this weekend. >> think about the cleaning crews, the food service. you know, those who have food trucks outside of government buildings and offices. >> reporter: a shutdown would divide some 4 million federal employees nationwide into two groups, essential workers including active duty military, border patrol and air traffic controllers, expected to keep reporting for work, and furloughed workers, simply sent home. neither would see a paycheck until the government reopens. >> we're doing a lot of belt tightening. >> reporter: wisconsin social security claims specialist and single mom jessica lapointe expects to work without pay. >> this has to be hard to discuss with your family. >> yeah. i have an 11-year-old son who has been asking to go to disney world for most of his life. we're looking at having to postpone that trip in order to just stay afloat during this unknown period. >> reporter: a shutdown would also slow services like food safety inspections and applications for passports and small business loans. the white house claims 10,000 kids would immediately lose access to headstart and funding for wic, a nutrition program that helps low-income women and young children, would dry up within days. members of congress who will continue to be paid have until midnight saturday to strike a deal. >> i will never quit even when the time runs out. >> garrett joins me. garrett, what is speaker mccarthy's plan to avoid a shutdown? >> reporter: lester, the speaker is lining up votes on bills backed by conservatives and he's also pairing short-term government funding with border security measures conservatives want to see. and he's warning his hard-liners that a shutdown now would only weaken their negotiating position. lester? >> garrett haake at the capital. thank you. now to the crisis at the southern border and the news that the number of migrants entering the country illegally is back at record levels. the mayor of one major city saying they're at a breaking point. julia ainsley is in texas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the border crisis up close. our cameras there as this group of hundreds of migrants illegally crossed the rio grande into eagle pass, texas. border patrol removing razor wire installed by texas governor greg abbott. behind me border patrol coming in to rescue some of these migrants carrying young children to try to keep them from crossing here and getting cut on this dangerous wire. border patrol says the wire can pose a humanitarian and drowning risk. federal agents start cutting the wire, allowing the migrants to enter the u.s. most of these migrants are from venezuela, headed for cities throughout the country. we meet this family with a 6-year-old son who just cut his arm on the wire. what was gone through on this journey? it's not worth it, he tells us. >> why do you say that? what happened? "deaths along the way. blackmail. they rob us. they kidnap us," he says. this young woman says she was sexually assaulted and extorted in mexico. they gather with hundreds of migrants under this bridge. dhs officials tell us most migrants illegally crossing the border are processed and released into the u.s. we've just learned in august over 300,000 migrants crossed the border, the highest monthly total ever. in just the last 24 hours over 11,000 migrants were encountered by customs and border protection. the mayor of el paso sounding the alarm. >> we have come to what we look at a breaking point right now. >> reporter: republican texas congressman austin pfluger blames biden border policies for encouraging more migrants to come. >> the president needs to close the border. he needs to do the right thing. stop abandoning us. this is not normal. >> reporter: the administration says they're working with mexico to ramp up enforcement. meanwhile, dhs officials tell me they expect the numbers here to rise. lester? >> julia ainsley in texas tonight. thank you. this was an emotional day in maui as some residents returned for the first time to the sites of their homes destroyed by wildfire almost seven weeks ago. as they visited one devastated area of lahaina, they were told not to sift through ash because of possible toxic chemicals. for some it was a chance to say good-bye to a part of their lives now gone. 22 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks a sad milestone to report tonight. the new york city fire department says deaths of its members from 9/11-related illnesses have reached the same number as those who died on that day. here's kate snow. >> reporter: on that terrible day in 2001, 343 members of the new york city fire department lost their lives. today a grim new marker. just as many fdny members have now died in the 22 years since the attack from 9/11-related illnesses. >> on september 11th for most people it's a part of history. for new york city firefighters it continues to be an ongoing tragedy as we care for our sick and continue to bury our dead. >> reporter: two fdny members died in the last week alone. emt hilda luz venata passed away at 67 from complications with pancreatic cancer. and this weekend 25-year fdny veteran robert fulco died at 73 from a pulmonary disease. >> i wish the world would not forget any of them quite frankly. >> reporter: jen mcnamara lost her firefighter husband john in 2009 to 9/11-related cancer. people will hear the headline. what do you want them to know about those numbers? >> i want them to know that there are people behind those numbers. they're not just numbers. they're families. and their lives and their legacies, it's not over. and it's not going to be over ever for those of us who have been affected so deeply. >> reporter: new york fire officials say 11,000 fdny members involved in the response to september 11th are still fighting illnesses. of those, 3,500 have cancer. today the firefighters union calling on the federal government to fund more treatment. >> we asked for over $2 billion last year. we got 600 million. >> reporter: warning thousands still need care. kate snow, nbc news, new york. in 60 seconds, unlocking the mystery of long covid and what happens in the body to those who have it. the new testing that could help, right after this. the new testing a my husband and i have never been more active. shingles doesn't care. i go to spin classes with my coworkers. good for you, shingles doesn't care. because no matter how healthy you feel, your risk of shingles sharply increases after age 50. but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. shingles doesn't care but, shingrix protects. shingrix is now zero dollars for almost everyone. ask your doctor about shingrix today. back now with rising concerns about covid as we move into the fall. hospitalizations are up nearly 8%. and beginning today, free tests are once again available at covidtests.gov. and for those suffering from long covid a study just out is giving new clues to identifying and possibly treating the mystery condition. here's anne thompson. ♪♪ >> reporter: the cello is joshua roman's pleasure and profession. but long covid's made it tough for the virtuoso soloist to play lengthy pieces. what kind of difference has long covid made in your career? >> long covid has forced me to only do the most important things. >> reporter: long covid impacts 6% of adults, according to the cdc. symptoms include fatigue, brain fog and memory difficulties. now a new study offers clues about potential blood bio markers. >> we're seeing patterns. >> reporter: david putrino is the lead researcher. >> our study showed that individuals with long covid had significant and measurable differences in their blood. >> and what were those differences? >> these differences were a mixture of hormone dysfunction, immune dysfunction and reactivation of past viruses. >> reporter: specifically, 50% lower levels of cortisol, the hormone that makes you feel alert and awake. t-cell exhaustion in immune systems. and dormant viruses like epstein barr and herpes re-emerging. >> this isn't a simple illness. this is a complex illness. >> reporter: the study examined the blood of 268 people, some who recovered from covid, some never infected, some with long covid like roman, who wants to not need reminders like this and have total recall of the music he loves. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. still ahead, covid one of the major factors that set many kids back in school. how one school district is trying to get kids back on track. next. and i'm from brooklyn. i work for the city of new york as a police administrator. i oversee approximately 20 people and my memory just has to be sharp. i always hear people say, you know, when you get older, you know, people lose memory. i didn't want to be that person. i decided to give prevagen a try. my memory became much sharper. i remembered more! i've been taking prevagen for four years now. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. holy cannoli. look at this. it's like a science project. ordering lunch -- easy for you and me but can be so difficult for a young homeowner turning into their parents. are those all different lettuces? 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>> consonant. >> reporter: they mostly left behind an approach commonly known as balanced literacy. adopted by many schools nationwide and facing growing criticism. it emphasized clued like pictures to understand a story and deemphasized phonics. for example, in a picture book if a line reads "the sheep wakes up," the school says a child who's never seen sheep may say "the dog wakes up." the child has the basic idea of an animal, but take away the pictures and the student struggles to read. today teachers here focus on the science of reading. >> what's your prefix? >> reporter: that includes explicitly teaching phonics, fluency and sounding out words. >> what's been the impact on the children? >> i've seen students who felt like they couldn't do it and then once we started to implement a structured reading program it went from i can't do it to i can do it, i am doing it. >> space. ship. >> ship. >> reporter: now used throughout the district, officials say it's making a difference. last year systemwide 65% of elementary school students reached reading proficiency. >> it's just amazing to me to see -- just to see the light bulbs turn on, to see them soak up all of the knowledge that's being poured into them. >> reporter: teachers now on a new course narrowing the reading gap word by word. rehema ellis, nbc news, florence, mississippi. and next for us tonight, actor bruce willis's health struggle. his wife speaking out about why his dementia diagnosis has been a blessing and a curse. next. iabetes? 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is that something that he is aware of? >> hard to know. >> reporter: in her first on-camera interview since his diagnosis, the actor's wife, emma heming willis, opened up about her role as a care partner and their family's journey on the "today" show. >> dementia is hard. it's hard on the person diagnosed. it's also hard on the family. and that is no different for bruce or myself or our girls. >> reporter: the 68-year-old shares three children with ex-wife and actor demi moore and two young children with heming willis. who says pinpointing the condition, which is often misdiagnosed, was both a blessing and a curse. >> to sort of finally understand what was happening, it doesn't make it any less painful. but just being in the know of what is happening to bruce just makes it a little bit easier. >> reporter: while a disease with no cure, the family continues finding their strength in willis. >> he is the gift that keeps on giving. love, patience, resilience. >> reporter: emilie ikeda, nbc news. that's "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. . rain returning and dangerous surf ahead. a live look at our satellite and radar as we're tracking a storm that's headed our way. good afternoon, i'm audrey asistio. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. meteorologist rob mayeda is going to be joining us in just a little bit with how much rain we're going goat and whent'