tonight, the trial of former president trump now in the hands of the jury. the deliberations just wrapping for the day after 4 1/2 hours so far in the case that could dramatically impact the race for the white house. the critical instructions the judge gave jurors. will it help the prosecution or the defense and

what they asked for today from inside the jury room. plus, what could happen when they reach a decision. the flap over flags. conservative supreme court justice samuel alito tells congress he won't step aside from trump-related cases before the high court. what's behind the call for him to recuse and what he said about his wife's central role in the controversy. all charges dropped against pro golfer scottie scheffler. plus, the leaked video just out showing him being questioned moments after his arrest. what the golfer told police and why he says he has no ill will. emergency landing. the moment a plane landed on a busy highway as drivers filmed it all. how the mlb is rewriting the record books to honor the hits, home runs, and milestones of some of history's greatest players. the panda-plomacy breakthrough. the furry effort to

bring the favorites back to the national zoo. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, and welcome. and now we wait. the fate of donald j. trump, former president of the united states, and now criminal defendant, is tonight in the hands of a manhattan jury. the seven men and five women deliberating for 4 1/2 hours today on whether mr. trump was part of an unlawful scheme to falsify business records to cover up hush money, paid to an adult film star. he is charged with 34 counts. late this afternoon the panel rang a bell summoning a bailiff to the deliberation room, not to say they had reached a verdict, but rather with questions about those instructions and a request to have a readback of testimony from two major prosecution witnesses. tonight, lawyers on both sides can only wonder what the jury could be telegraphing about its process and progress. senior legal correspondent laura jarrett has the latest. >> reporter: tonight, jury deliberations wrapping up for the day in former president trump's hush money case. the first trial of an

american president. seven men and five women deliberating for roughly 4 1/2 hours after sitting through more than an hour of complex instructions from the judge, who told the manhattan jury to set aside any bias for or against mr. trump and to not ignore any evidence simply because you want the trial to end. judge juan merchan walking jurors through each of the 34 counts mr. trump faces for allegedly falsifying his business records to cover up michael cohen's payoff of a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election, which mr. trump denies. the charge, normally a misdemeanor, raised to a low-level felony here because prosecutors argue they allegedly doctored records that were meant to cover up another crime, in this case a conspiracy to promote mr. trump's candidacy in 2016 through, quote, unlawful means. at trial prosecutors raised possible violations of multiple other laws that could qualify as those unlawful means including campaign finance violations

mr. trump was never charged with. the judge instructing the jury today to reach a guilty verdict, they need not be unanimous about which unlawful means triggers that felony, a major advantage for prosecutors. >> it's a disgrace and i mean mother teresa could not beat these charges. we'll see. i just want to say it's a very unfair trial. >> reporter: the jury asking for a readback from the very first witness, tabloid boss david pecker, as well as cohen, and jurors instructed today not to consider the possible sentence mr. trump could receive. if convicted, he faces anywhere from four years in prison to just probation and the presumptive gop nominee can still be elected president, even if he's found guilty. >> so, laura, what happens now with this testimony that the jurors have asked to hear again? >> reporter: well, lester, the prosecution, the judge, the defense team all need to finalize exactly what

portions of the transcript will be read back to the jury. the judge suggests it could be substantial, an hour of testimony. court will pick up tomorrow morning at 9:30. lester. >> laura, thank you. also this evening supreme court justice samuel alito being called to recuse himself from cases involving january 6th. the issue, those controversial flags that flew at his homes. here's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: a defiant judgment from supreme court justice samuel alito refusing democrats' demands he recuse himself from pending cases related to january 6th and former president trump over flags flown at his virginia home in 2021 and new jersey vacation house in 2023, flags frequently used by maga followers who deny the 2020 election results. the incident sparking national attention just this month. today alito repeatedly blamed his wife martha-anne as solely responsible for the controversial displays

and distanced himself in a pair of detailed letters to congress. "i had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of the flag. i asked my wife to take it down, but for several days she refused." the conservative justice said his wife was greatly distressed over a very nasty neighborhood dispute, noting she is a private citizen with full first amendment rights. alito contends the events do not meet the threshold for recusal so he is duty-bound to reject the request. democratic leaders have expressed outrage. >> totally inappropriate. samuel alito and clarence thomas are totally out of control. >> reporter: justice thomas' wife ginni backed efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcome but has recently said she and her husband don't discuss their work with each other. alito is among the most conservative jurists on the court yet he asserted ignorance that the flags have been associated with conservative anger and january 6th. "i was not aware of any connection between this historic flag and

the stop the steal movement and neither was my wife." today 18 democrats from the house judiciary committee signed a letter to chief justice roberts asking him if these events violate the court's code of conduct adopted last november and urging him to enforce that code, lester. >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. charges have been dropped against the world's top golfer after he was arrested during the pga championship, but as stephanie gosk reports, leaked video is shedding new light on scottie scheffler's run-in with the law. >> scottie scheffler on the tee. >> reporter: the number one ranked golfer in the world, scottie scheffler. >> all rise. >> reporter: no longer facing criminal charges. >> mr. scheffler's characterization that this was a, quote, big misunderstanding, closed quote, is corroborated by the evidence. >> reporter: the kentucky prosecutor dropping the case today. >> you have the right to remain silent. >> reporter: while leaked video was surfaced online

moments after hirst arrest for allegedly assaulting a police officer. >> first of all, i did not know he was a police officer. i thought he was a security guard. >> reporter: an unrelated fatal collision had taken place causing traffic to back up. according to the louisville police department, scheffler tried to drive around the traffic and was told to stop. >> why does it party matter if he's a security guard or a police officer? >> you're right. i should have stopped. i did get a little bit impatient because i'm quite late for my tee time. >> reporter: they >> reporter: the prosecutor's office confirmed the authenticity and scheffler's defense attorney referring to it as body cam. >> the officer is actually asking him leading questions and trying to get him to agree with him, okay, and that's why you don't talk to the police. >> reporter: the arrest report said scheffler didn't stop and dragged the detective to the ground. >> you took him with your car and drug him, okay, which is not a good thing. to make it even worse when he asked you to get out of the car you refused to get out of the car.

>> i still was not aware he was a police officer. >> reporter: scheffler's lawyer directly addressing the original allegation. >> he was not dragged. you believe they would have dismissed this case if he was dragged? no, they would not have. >> reporter: the golf pro posting today, he wishes to put this incident behind him. scheffler plays again next week. >> and stephanie is here. wouldn't this video have been a part of the prosecution's investigation? >> yes, it would have, lester, and the prosecutors' office tells nbc news they did review it. the police have said there is no video of the actual alleged altercation between scheffler and that detective. the detective never put his body cam on. >> all right, stephanie, thank you. now to new developments in a case that captivated the nation. convicted killer scott peterson was back in court today pushing for another trial and a new shot at freedom. here's liz kreutz. >> and we have the testimony from the cadaver dog. >> reporter: tonight scott peterson appearing in court from prison 20 years after being convicted of killing his pregnant wife laci and

their unborn child connor. despite what investigators say is overwhelming evidence against him, the now 51-year-old, who was serving a life sentence without parole, has the backing of the los angeles innocence project as he makes yet another attempt for a new trial. >> there is absolutely no forensic evidence in this case implicating scott peterson. >> reporter: his new attorney is asking a california judge to allow for new dna testing on several pieces of evidence that was suppressed including a burned out orange van that was found in modesto the day after she disappeared. inside the van was a bloody mattress, and they want to know if that blood was laci's. >> should laci's dna be found anywhere that would be irrefutable supporting mr. peterson's innocence. >> reporter: but the prosecution pushing back saying testing done in 2019 showed no blood on the mattress and only male dna. >> these are claims

that have been previously litigated. >> reporter: peterson's trial captivated the nation, a jury finding him guilty after a trove of circumstantial evidence including that laci and connor's bodies washed up in the san francisco bay, the same place he had gone fishing the day they vanished, and his affair with a woman he had told his wife had died. and a judge must now decide wether to grant that new dna testing. if that happens and laci's dna is found on evidence, it could lead to a new trial. lester. >> all right, liz, thank you. we're getting new details tonight about an explosion that rocked a wisconsin neighborhood. two people died when a house exploded northwest of madison last night. authorities now say they believe flames inside the home may have touched off ammunition stored there. neighbors reported hearing sounds of gunfire. the cause of the explosion is still under investigation. both president biden and vice president harris made a critical stop in battleground pennsylvania, part of a new bid to reach out to black voters. gabe gutierrez is in philadelphia.

>> reporter: in a rare joint appearance on the campaign trail, president biden and vice president harris turned up the heat on former president trump. >> now he's running again, and he's clearly unhinged. >> reporter: their campaign launching a renewed effort to court black voters in this critical swing state. >> joe biden gave his word that we would fight to address some of the biggest issues facing the black community, and we have delivered. >> reporter: it comes as mr. trump is making his own push including in the south bronx. >> joe biden is not getting the job done for the bronx. >> reporter: recent nbc news polling shows that president biden's support among black voters has dropped since 2020. back then exit polls showed they supported him by 71 points. now that biden advantage has narrowed to 58 points. perhaps more concerning for democrats, less enthusiasm. four years ago 74% of black voters had high interest in the

election. now it's just 59%. is the campaign worried about that? >> i think it's important for each and every one of us to go out and make the case and show that black america this administration sees us. this is an administration willing to fight for us. >> reporter: wes moore is helping lead the outreach. >> you've got to continue to believe in an administration that's actually doing the work. >> reporter: but it's a tough sell for eugene thomas, who runs a nonprofit in philadelphia. >> has president biden earned your vote? >> not yet. >> reporter: after voting for biden in 2020, he's considering voting third party or not at all. for him inflation is a top issue. >> people are struggling. we have to help people extra with groceries, gas prices. >> reporter: the trump campaign argues the former president's economic policies benefited black families. following president biden's speech today, pandering. >> gabe, thank you. in 60 seconds the dramatic highway landing caught on camera. plus, the reverse

migration. why some who fled to florida are saying they've had enough of the sunshine state. risk of another attack. with his risk factors his recommended ldl-c level should be below 55. find out if you're living in the red. learn how to get a free ldl-c test. ♪ limu emu... ♪ and doug. (bell ringing) limu, someone needs to customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. let's fly! (inaudible sounds) chief! doug. (inaudible sounds) ooooo ah. (elevator doors opening) (inaudible sounds) i thought you were right behind me. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, ♪ ♪ liberty. ♪ (♪♪) (♪♪) try dietary supplements from voltaren, for healthy joints.

it certainly wasn't the typical scene on a highway today near myrtle beach, south carolina. yes, that was a small plane making an emergency landing because of engine failure. the highway patrol said two people were on the plane. no injuries were reported. as millions of americans picked up and moved during the pandemic, few states saw a bigger boom than florida, but for some transplants, the sunshine state has lost its luster. shannon pettypiece explains. >> i mean, i agree, this is beautiful. you know, you can't ask for a nicer setting. >> reporter: months into the pandemic, dennis kohl sold his connecticut home and like hundreds of thousands of americans headed to florida, many drawn by the state's lower taxes and sunny skies. >> not the panacea that i had in my head. >> reporter: but now he's preparing to put his florida house on

the market and move back north. >> we have political issues in florida that are just ugly. we have costs skyrocketing. >> reporter: florida has been among the fastest growing states in the nation since the start of the pandemic. in 2022 alone, more than 700,000 people moved there, but at the same time, nearly 500,000 left, the largest number since the great recession. we spoke with dozens of former florida residents who have recently left the state. among the reasons they gave, a soaring cost of living. florida has had one of the nation's highest rates of inflation, last year car insurance was up 24% and homeowners' insurance jumped 42%. home prices have risen 60% since 2020. >> they love the blue skies and dolphins in the water but it comes at a price. >> reporter: john has spent two decades selling florida real estate. >> are you getting a lot of calls from people who moved down here during covid who are now looking to leave? >> yeah, we are.

>> and what's the number one reason they're giving? >> politics, politics. >> reporter: florida has recently enacted some of the most conservative legislation in the country. including the near total ban on abortions and restrictions on how race and sexuality are taught in schools. >> my in-migration people want to move here due to politics, my out-migration people want to move out of here because of politics. >> reporter: a spokesman for ron desantis said florida led the country in domestic in-migration in 2022 and saw the highest population growth rate in generations. >> look, this has always been a transient state. people come and go. that's normal. i think our policies have attracted folks. >> reporter: for kohl, who considered himself a moderate conservative when he moved to florida, the state's political shift to the right contributed to his decision to leave. >> whether it was fighting with disney, whether the whole lgbq thing, it's just there are so many things that make it uncomfortable for a lot of people to be here. >> reporter: leaving him and others looking

for a brighter future outside the sunshine state. shannon pettypiece, nbc news, st. pete beach, florida. and up next for us, ignored by pro-baseball for decades, why the lineup of all-time greats now include legendary names from greats now include legendary names from the negro le i agwas born to live in the limelight. but psoriasis kept me in the shadows. until i got clearer skin with bimzelx. most people got 100% clear skin. some after the first dose. serious side effects, including suicidal thoughts and behavior, infections and lowered ability to fight them, liver problems, and inflammatory bowel disease, have occurred. tell your doctor if these happen or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. (♪♪) start to get yourself back, with bimzelx. ask your dermatologist about bimzelx today.

if you spit blood when you brush, it could be the start of a domino effect. new parodontax active gum repair breath freshener. clinically proven to help reverse the four signs of early gum disease. a new toothpaste from parodontax, the gum experts. ( ♪ ♪ ) start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. (fisher investments) at fisher investments we may look like other money managers, but we're different.ecommended (other money manager) how so? (fisher investments) we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client'' best interest. (fisher investments) so we don't sell any commission-based products. (other money manager) then how do you make money? (fisher investments) we have a simple management fee, structured so we do better when our clients do better. (other money manager) your clients really come first then, huh? (fisher investments) yes. we make them a top priority, by getting to know their finances, family, health, lifestyle and more. (other money manager) wow, maybe we are different. (fisher investments) at fisher investments, we're clearly different.

okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪♪) (vo) you might be used to living with your albuterol asthma rescue inhaler, but it's a bit of a dinosaur, with 30 grams of protein. because it only treats your symptoms, not inflammation. treating both symptoms and inflammation with rescue is supported by asthma experts. finally, there's a modern way to treat symptoms and asthma attacks. airsupra is the first ever dual-action rescue inhaler that treats your asthma symptoms and helps prevent attacks. airsupra is the only rescue fda-approved to do both. airsupra is an as-needed rescue inhaler and should not be used as a maintenance treatment for asthma. get medical help right away if your breathing does not improve, continues to worsen, or for serious allergic reactions. using airsupra more than prescribed

could be life threatening. serious side effects include heart problems, increased risk of thrush or infections. welcome to the modern age of dual-action asthma rescue. ask your doctor if airsupra is right for you. a big change about major league baseball. it's updating the record books to honor at long last the milestones of some of history's greatest

players. here's shaquille brewster. >> reporter: it's a dramatic shift in the recorded history of major league baseball. for the first time mlb is including data from the negro leagues in official stats. josh gibbon, who went pro in 1930, now has the league's number one career and single season batting average and slugging percentage surpassing ty cobb, babe ruth, and barry bonds. >> this is a great day not only for the gibson family but of all the family members of negro baseball players. >> reporter: gibson's grandson says the honor is meaningful. >> this is how others view him. does it alter how you view him? >> no. if josh gibson played in the negro leagues or the major leagues, he was still one of the greatest of all time. >> reporter: the recognition coming after an independent committee spent more than three

years reviewing a patchwork of available data including thousands of box scores with more than 2,300 players from the negro leagues now entered into the public database. >> we have a whole lot of black baseball players who are great who but for the color of their skin would be competing with ty cobb, would be striking out babe ruth. >> reporter: in a statement, mlb says, this initiative will ensure future generation of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the negro leagues possible. last week the league and its players association also announcing expanded financial assistance to support players from the negro leagues but few are still alive. >> we caught up with our past, and we made it right. we -- this is sort of reparations, reparations that come to major league baseball. >> reporter: official records honoring some of baseball's greats. shaquille brewster, nbc news. and coming up for us tonight, the special delivery coming from china as special delivery coming from china as panda-plomacy

if you have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease... put it in check with rinvoq... a once—daily pill. when symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief... and reduced fatigue with rinvoq. check. when flares kept trying to slow me down... i got lasting steroid—free remission... with rinvoq. check. and when my doctor saw damage,... rinvoq helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. for both uc and crohn's: rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid—free remission... and visibly reduced damage. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. people 50 and older with a heart disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc and crohn's in check... and keep them there with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq and learn how abbvie can help you save.

always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. ♪♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change. because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen. see? homequote explorer lets you easily compare home insurance options so you can get what you need without overpaying. yeah, we've spent a lot on this kitchen. oh, yeah, really high-end stuff. -sorry, that's our ghost. -yeah, okay. he's more annoying than anything. too bad there's mold behind the backsplash.

[ sniffs ] yep, that's mold. well, then, let's see if we can save you some money with progressive. guess how much i originally paid for this fireplace? 23 bucks. materials and labor. just ignore him. you got bamboozled! an alternative to pills, voltaren is a clinically proven arthritis pain relief gel, which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine directly at the source. voltaren, the joy of movement. hi, i'm greg. i live in bloomington, illinois. i'm not an actor. i'm just a regular person. some people say, "why should i take prevagen? i don't have a problem with my memory." memory loss is, is not something that occurs overnight. i started noticing subtle lapses in memory. i want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. it's helped my memory. it's helped my cognitive qualities. give it a try. i want it to help you just like it has helped me. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription.

finally, with heightened tensions between the u.s. and china, there was fear that when the pandas left the national zoo, it would be a while before they returned, but as tom costello was first to report, good news is on the way. >> reporter: they are 7,500 miles away, but washington, d.c. is already excited about two 2-year-olds who spend their days

devouring bamboo and tumbling downhills. the smithsonian national zoo now upgrading its panda exhibit for blas leroux, a male panda with a teenager's energy and qing bao, a more reserved female, relocating to d.c. by the end of the year, part of a new ten-year loan. >> it is proof positive of the success of our panda program. >> reporter: for five decades they were the biggest stars at the zoo, part of a global conservation program that helped grow the wild population from 1,000 to 1,900 pandas today, plus another 800 in zoos worldwide, moving from endangered to vulnerable. >> if you want to see the species, you have to make more of them. >> reporter: but last november panda mania came to an end when the agreement expired just as u.s./chinese relations became strained. all u.s. zoos have been returning their pandas until this new panda-plomacy breakthrough.

>> it's great that they're coming back. >> reporter: and with a family twist for the male, bao li. >> it's a full circle for us because his grandparents came here in 2000. his mom was our only female cub born here at national zoo. >> i encourage everyone to care for china/u.s. relations just as you care for pandas and jointly usher in a peaceful and prosperous future. >> reporter: perhaps a little panda detente isn't all bad. tom costello at the national zoo, nbc news. and that is -- i love him rolling down that hill. that's "nightly news" for this wednesday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself andach e

to clear his name. good afternoon. i'm audrey asistio. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. ian cull was in court all daen