was flying on autopilot. the faa investigation. and taylor swift releasing her new album with a surprise, giving fans double the excitement. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, and welcome. tonight the criminal trial of donald trump has quickly reached a key milestone. the jury and a panel of alternates are now fully seated with opening statements set to start as soon as monday, but for many connected to this case, it will be hard to shake the horrific and unexpected turn in the atmosphere of the trial. the images we must warn you hard to watch. a young man in the crowd outside the courthouse setting himself on fire, engulfed in flames as bystanders work desperately to extinguish them. the tragedy not expected to impact the trial. the new york hush money case against former president trump, which is moving at a quicker pace than many observers anticipated. it could be the only