it comes as brutal heat refuses to let up. 65 million on alert. and in new mexico the massive dust storms and deadly wildfires burning out of control. also tonight the manhunt for a suspect wanted for multiple murders in two states. where he was caught today. the close call for a southwest plane triggering urgent warnings after descending at just 500 feet over a suburb. why was it so low? the train chaos in the north east. why amtrak service was suspended from philadelphia to connecticut. the first debate just one week away. new details on the biden-trump showdown, where they ll be positioned on stage, and who will get the last word. remembering donald sutherland whose acting career spanned six decades. from mash to thehuer games. the warning about popular weight loss drugs, the dangerous counter-foots on the market. and saving the whale. the nearly 3,000-mile mission to rescue two majestic belugas from ukraine s war zone. announcer: this is nbc nightly news
air traffic control asking, are you okay? first tonight, the life-threatening heat across this country. tonight, more than 127 million americans under heat alerts at we come on the air. new york city firefighters in brutal temperatures battling those massive fires in manhattan and the bronx. philadelphia issuing a heat emergency tonight. fires breaking out along the new jersey turnpike during the come mute home. and amtrak passengers stuck for hours. service halted from philadelphia to new york to connecticut. our team on it all tonight. and ginger zee with the latest heat forecast. and now the storms we re watching from detroit right into parts of the northeast. we re also following the deadly fires in new mexico. at least 1,400 homes and businesses destroyed. tonight, president biden approving a major disaster declaration for the state. the scare onboard a southwest passenger jet. the plane suddenly dropping to about 525 feet above the ground, coming close to a school