chilling video of a suspected drunk driver speeding into a building holding a birthday party. two children killed. more than a dozen other people seriously hurt. >> why them? the new warning to jewish students after heated protests at columbia university. the campus rabbi who says they're not safe and need to go home. summer travel crunch. more americans than ever set to fly, but for some airlines, maybe fewer planes. what it means for the price of your summer vacay. a car on fire. a driver trapped. how a group of good samaritans saved his life. and kick off your sunday shoes because we are there as kevin bacon goes back to the school where he filmed "footloose" to make students' prom dreams come true. >> the power that this movie has had just kind of brings people together. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with hallie jackson. good evening, and we begin this evening with a milestone moment in a trial that will be full of them. opening statements set to begin just hours from now in that downtown manhattan courtroom in the historic criminal case against the former president. and tonight we're getting a closer look at the prosecution's roadmap here. just how they intend to prove their case against donald trump and who they intend to call to the stand. with the jury now seated, the defense preparing to counter each claim and the defendant, himself, turning the courtroom into a campaign stop. yasmin vossoughian starts us off. >> reporter: just hours from now, a historic moment for american politics and the country's legal system. opening statements in the criminal trial against donald trump in new york. >> opening statements really just offer a preview of the facts to come. >> reporter: david pecker, former publisher of the "national enquirer," and a trump ally, could be among the first witnesses called. other key witnesses could include adult film star stormy daniels, michael cohen, trump's former fixer, karen mcdougal, an ex-playboy model, hope hicks, trump's former white house communications director, and possibly mr. trump himself. >> are you going to testify? >> yes. >> reporter: the prosecution will make its case to a jury of seven men and five women along with six alternates, alleging that this is a matter of election interference. mr. trump has pled not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to stormy daniels. prosecutors say it was made to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter. the payment allegedly happened after his "access hollywood" tape leaked during the 2016 campaign. >> how are you? >> nice to see you. terrific. >> reporter: the former president has denied allegations of the encounter with daniels and the payment. >> this is a giant witch hunt. >> reporter: mr. trump is required to be in court every weekday except wednesdays, when court is not in session, limiting his ability to campaign. >> i'm supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning, but i've been here all day. >> reporter: his north carolina rally canceled on saturday due to weather. >> i'm more devastated that this could happen. >> reporter: meanwhile, president biden trimmed mr. trump's lead in our new nbc news poll. trump leading biden by just two points in a head-to-head matchup, down from five points. but with third-party candidates in the mix, biden leads trump by two points. >> yasmin is joining us from outside court. yasmin, if this is just the start for this trial, when might we see a verdict? >> reporter: the trial could take four to six weeks, hallie. if he is found guilty, he's facing up to four years in prison. hallie. >> yasmin vossoughian live for us in new york. to breaking news out of michigan with a community in shock and in grief tonight after a driver crashed into a children's birthday party. maggie vespa is there. >> reporter: tonight, tragedy in michigan and a suspected drunk driver caught on camera from multiple angles saturday, appearing to speed toward a boat club. debris flying as investigators say the 66-year-old woman crashed into the side, plowing 25 feet through a child's birthday party, hitting 15 adults and kids, killing 2, a young brother and sister who were attending their friend's party. >> a vehicle went through the building. >> reporter: first responders swarming newport's swan boat club south of detroit. >> we have several people on the ground as well as several children injured. >> the scene was described by the first responders as extremely chaotic. >> reporter: the local sheriff tearing up. >> two of the victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. this includes an 8-year-old female and a 5-year-old male, who are siblings of each other. >> reporter: family identifying the siblings as lana and zane, adding their mother, mariah, and 12-year-old brother, jaden, were also at the party and are in critical condition. >> how are you feeling? >> devastated. sad. why them? >> reporter: the driver who investigators say killed them hasn't yet been identified. authorities say she's been arrested for operating while intoxicated, causing death. the sheriff noting investigators believe she'd been at a tavern earlier and that more charges are likely coming. >> does anything about this make sense to you? >> nothing. it's a kids' birthday party. >> this is devastating. maggie is joining us live outside that boat club where, maggie, we can see that building boarded up behind you. we expect an update from investigators tomorrow, right? >> reporter: yeah, hallie, that's right. we're hoping for answers, as you know, to a number of looming questions, including the name of the driver. meanwhile, today we went to that tavern the sheriff mentioned, and staff there say authorities have already searched it as part of their investigation. hallie. >> maggie vespa live for us there in michigan, thank you. an alarming new warning tonight for jewish students at new york's columbia university. "go home." that's from a rabbi who works on campus, concerned about growing anti-semitism and growing protests against israel's war with hamas. george solis reports. >> reporter: as tensions and pro-palestinian demonstrations at columbia university in new york grow, tonight a jewish leader at the university is now urging students to stay away over what's being described as extreme anti-semitism on campus. >> i really do believe that these protests have lost the plot so to speak and have really just turned into incitement of violence and jew hatred. >> reporter: new york mayor eric adams condemning video such as this, which he saysa shows a young woman with a sign pointing to jewish students saying, "al qassam's next targets." in a letter obtained by nbc news, columbia rabbi elie buechler writing to students, "it deeply pains me to say that i would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved," going on to say, "no one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school." nick baum says while many of his peers have left, he's chosen to stay. >> your reaction to the letter? >> i feel disturbed, but i feel it is completely indicative of the horrible disturbances that jews on campus have been feeling over the last few days. as a jew, i no longer feel welcome on campus. >> reporter: a columbia university spokesperson tells nbc news in part, "we are acting on concerns we are hearing from our jewish students." republican congresswoman elise stefanik, who played a role during a hearing on anti-semitism this n the at columbia this week now calling on university president minouche shafik to resign. tonight the white house weighing in, saying in part, "while every american has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting jewish students and the jewish community are blatantly anti-semitic, unconscionable, and dangerous, and have absolutely no place on any college campus or anywhere in the united states of america." last week, an unauthorized encampment on campus led to more than 100 arrests. >> i was one of the students arrested, suspended by the university. all of these students know the risk. >> reporter: tonight, an escalating conflict growing more contentious on campus. george solis, nbc news. in washington, a high wire political act tonight for the house speaker, facing down an intensifying push by some in his party to kick him out of leadership. all of it fallout for his support of this weekend's vote to help ukraine to the tune of $60 billion. julie tsirkin is on capitol hill. >> reporter: tonight, growing pressure on house speaker mike johnson, facing a possible mutiny from fellow republicans. >> mike johnson has betrayed america. he's betrayed republican voters. >> reporter: congresswoman marjorie taylor greene is part of a trio of hard-line conservatives promising to kick johnson out. >> the house will be in order. >> reporter: the latest effort coming after the house passed a $95 billion foreign aid package to israel, taiwan, and ukraine. >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: democrats exploding in applause on the house floor as the long-stalled funding finally flows. johnson originally opposed the white house push to send aid to ukraine, but eventually allowed the vote to proceed. >> he's passed the democrat agenda, passed the biden administration policies, and fully funded them. >> reporter: but there is bipartisan support to save johnson's job. >> i would actually vote to table any motion to vacate him. >> reporter: johnson says he had to do what is right. >> i don't walk around this building being worried about a motion to vacate. i have to do my job. >> reporter: meanwhile, in an interview with our kristen welker, ukraine's president says the funding is critical. >> translator: this aid will strengthen ukraine and send the kremlin a powerful signal. >> julie is joining us now. julie, let's talk timeline here. what are you hearing from some of the members looking to force out the speaker? >> well, marjorie taylor greene isn't revealing her plans, only saying that it will happen. but with the house in recess, nothing will come about for at least a week. hallie? >> julie, thank you. a tram accident at one of the country's most popular theme parks is under investigation tonight. it happened saturday at universal studios in los angeles. officials say the tram tilted while making a turn and collided with a metal guardrail. some people inside fell out. 15 passengers were hurt with injuries raising from mild to moderate. universal studios is owned by nbc news' parent company, nbc universal. to some terrifying moments now on a minnesota highway. a driver trapped in a car up in flames. but thanks to the bravery of a group of good samaritans, everybody survived. the horrific scene off i-94 in minnesota. a car crashing into a lamppost, up in flames. the driver trapped. >> vehicle fire. people still inside it. >> reporter: then one after the other, good samaritans pulling over, racing to help. you can see them desperately trying to pull the car door open as it jammed up against the guardrail. >> there was a moment where we thought we literally lost him. >> reporter: but the flames erupting, chasing the bystanders away. undeterred, they rushed back in. a highway worker finally smashing the window open. the group pulling the driver to safety right as the fire burst into the front seat. >> this is something that i will never forget. it's a good feeling to know that you saved somebody's life. >> just an incredible act of bravery. when we come back, record summer travel and not enough planes. why some airline experts say the price of your ticket could be about to go up. and the caught-on-camera moment. this man fighting back against an alleged car thief. what he's telling our reporter about that night. tive breast cancer is overwhelming. but i never just found my way; i made it. and did all i could to prevent recurrence. verzenio reduces the risk of recurrence of hr-positive, her2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer with a high chance of returning as determined by your doctor when added to hormone therapy. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at the first sign, call your doctor, start an anti-diarrheal , and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor about any fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening lung inflammation can occur. tell your doctor about any new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain. serious liver problems can happen. symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising. blood clots that can lead to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain, and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to be. i'm making my own way forward. talk to your doctor about reducing your risk. 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like. here's marissa parra. >> reporter: summer travel is expected to soar to record highs. but a potential shortage of planes looms on the horizon. >> that's leaving airlines really bracing to make sure that they can handle that onrush of travel demand. >> reporter: u.s. airlines this year expected to receive 40% fewer planes than they planned for last year according to industry group aerodynamic advisory, which means one thing for your travel budget. >> from a consumer standpoint, with demand strong and supply relatively weak, that's a recipe for higher airfares. >> reporter: united airlines and southwest pausing hiring. united even offering their pilots unpaid leave. alaska airlines along with southwest unsure how many flights they can fly, calling their capacity forecast uncertain. all of the airlines pointing directly to boeing's 737 max production delays. the aviation giant facing quality control scrutiny and under investigation by the faa after the door plug blowout in january. boeing's number of airplane deliveries sank to 83 in their last quarter compared to 157 the one prior. >> you've got this effort to return to 2019 levels of jetliner production. airbus is getting there. boeing is stumbling pretty badly. >> boeing cfo brian west saying last month, we're deliberately going to slow to get this right, and we're the ones who made the decision to constrain rates on the 737 program. all of this on the brink of sky-high travel demand. major airlines bracing for a huge travel season following a record-setting year for tsa travel numbers. >> it means higher prices but also planes that are going to be more full than they would otherwise be. >> reporter: airlines now have just months left to course-correct before summer travel takes off. marissa parra, nbc news. still ahead, fighting back. the caught-on-camera moment a man fought back against a suspected car thief. and kevin bacon's happy homecoming. how the school where he filmed that famous footwork finally finagled him back 40 years later. tonight we are remembering journalist terry anderson. he's the american who was taken hostage in lebanon and held for more than six years from 1985 to 1991. anderson had been the beirut bureau chief for the associated press when he was captured. he chronicled his imprisonment by islamic militants in his memoir, "den of lions." anderson died at his home in new york's hudson valley. he was 76 years old. out west now, where car thieves are getting bolder and homeowners more frustrated. tonight our dana griffin talks with one who saw the alleged robbery unfold in his driveway on his own doorbell cam and decided to fight back. >> reporter: just seconds after getting a notification in the middle of the night, eric smith captured on his own ring camera tackling a suspected car prowler who had been sitting in the passenger side of his truck. >> i put my hands on him and grabbed him. at that point he started screaming, yelling for the driver of the vehicle to help him out. help, help. >> reporter: then the driver of this getaway car backs up, angles towards them, and accelerates. >> it felt kind of like a movie, you know. i just end up on the hood, held on, turned around to see where i was going to impact. i saw i was going straight for my truck. saw my truck door was open. i just happened to pick up my legs and kick my door closed. >> reporter: after being hurled off the vehicle and slamming into his own truck, smith stands up without a scratch to snap a photo before the suspects sped away. >> i was a little shaky, so the photos came out a little blurry already the incident happened last month outside his pierce county, washington, home. his family sharing it online to help authorities identify the suspects. the pierce county >> i give a lot of credit to social media. >> reporter: the pierce county sheriff's department tells nbc news those images led to a potential arrest in a different city, but they have yet to confirm if the suspect is tied to their investigation. the department writing in a statement, in part, we have seen a significant rise in motor vehicle thefts with juvenile suspects. this incident is particularly scary since it shows how bold these suspects are getting and at what costs they will take to get away. according to the department, motor vehicle thefts were up 27% in the county last year. >> just 30 minutes prior to, you know, another person on social media reached out and provided footage of them hitting their vehicles. >> reporter: deputies say it's likely the suspects were casing nearby homes, but no other reports were filed with the department. >> they got nothing out of it. i don't keep anything in my vehicle. but they were certainly lucky. >> reporter: lucky, eric says, because everyone involved could have been hurt. >> would you have done anything different? >> yeah, that's a good question. absolutely not. you know, there's so many different ways this could have gone, and i think i had probably the best outcome. >> reporter: dana griffin, nbc news. up next, there is good news tonight. the promposal kevin bacon couldn't resist. how students got him back to where he started in all in "footloose." how students go o back t ♪ there is good news tonight. you remember the movie "footloose" about high school students fighting for the right to dance? now 40 years later, a real-life twist. high school students fighting for the right to get kevin bacon to the dance. >> let's dance! >> reporter: an iconic movie with an iconic star. ♪ putting utah's payson high school on the map. these scenes shot there 40 years ago. but you know who's been working so hard? the current students, who weren't even born when "footloose" came out, and now after a years-long bacon to payson online campaign, kevin bacon's back. >> it's been a long time. it's amazing the power that this movie has had to just kind of bring people together. >> reporter: just ahead of payson's prom night and just before the school is torn down next year, bacon telle hartung how much it telling "today's" kaylee hartung how much it all means. >> for all the effort these students put in, in getting bacon to payson, what finally put you over the edge? >> i think seeing the -- seeing the commitment to turn it into a day of giving and fund-raising and good, positive energy. you can't turn that down. >> reporter: like ren, bacon's on a mission, uniting the community, filling care bags for his six degrees charity. and then, yes, at prom, the students who worked to get bacon to the building following his "footloose" footsteps. ♪ >> everyone danced to "footloose" at the prom. it was a party. >> oh, yeah, it was cool. >> reporter: for ruby and nick, it's more than just a movie. it's the memory of a lifetime. >> i think that was the coolest part was just to see how he uses his celebrity power, per se, to bring everyone together. that was the reason it all worked. >> what did it feel like for you when you got to see and meet kevin bacon? >> seeing him in person was like surreal. like he walked out, and they played "footloose," and i immediately just started crying. that just made it all worthwhile to know that he's proud of us and he's happy that he came. >> there's a life lesson in that moment too. >> yeah, for sure. like if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish it. >> a prom to remember for sure. get ready to kick off your monday shoes, by the way, with more of kaylee's exclusive interview and visit with kevin bacon tomorrow on "today." for now, that's "nightly news" for this sunday. i'm hallie jackson. for all of us at nbc, thanks for watching. we'll see you right back here next week. ♪ footloose ♪ ♪ kick off the sunday shoes ♪ ♪ please, louise ♪ ♪ pull me off of my knees ♪ right now at 6:00, keeping tents off the streets. the case the supreme court is set to hear that could have a big impact on how california cities handle the homelessness