making a shot over a group of fans before going back to the tournament that is him, too. yesterday on the golf course, he scored an eagle after sinking a shot from 97 yards out. it is incredible. more than 80 celebrities were out there, tonight, the major reversal in gas prices, they're now coming down. prices now 30 cents less than their record high how low will they go, and will it bring down the price of everything else? yosemite burning parts of the famed national park on fire. a major entrance closed 1,600 people evacuated as firefighters try to control the out of control wildfire and protect the giant sequoia trees. protesters march on the white house, demanding that president biden do more to protect abortion rights. >> these people need to be held accountable. and they need to do their jobs dramatic video of thousands of protesters storming

sri lanka's presidential palace, taking over his office, even swimming in the pool and forcing him to resign. new details in the assassination of japan's former prime minister police now have a motive as they admit the security detail made mistakes. should the parents of the alleged highland park shooter be held liable for his actions? our reporter goes one-on-one with their new lawyer >> why did the father sign the gun permit? and remembering a sopranos star. the e man who brought paulie walnuts to life has passed >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz-balart. >> good evening. it's been a relentless series of bleak headlines these past few months, bu tonight, we're going to begin the broadcast by focusing on a sign of hope. gas prices are coming down after topping off at a record high of over $5 a gallon, they are now dropping

in fact, it's been the largest weekly drop in two years. to be clear, gas prices are still much higher than they were a year ago, and families are still experiencing a lot of economic hardship. we will touch on those challenges later in our broadcast. but for so many, gas prices are a painful daily reminder of the inflation crisis one that is taking a major toll on their budgets. tonight, some signs that things may be getting better here's priscilla thompson >> reporter: it's an early summer sign of relief more than a dozen states are seeing some gas stations with prices below $4 a gallon >> thank you, sir. >> reporter: mazi ali manages a star stop station in houston, texas. what did it feel like to change that number out there from a 4 to a 3? >> it actually felt great and when i was doing it, people were honking, and they were waving at me. >> reporter: the national average still high at $4.69 a gallon, but that's down more than 10 cents from just a week ago.

states in the midwest and south seeing the biggest drop the lower prices, a welcome surprise for those hitting the road in houston >> i was doing a pizza delivery i saw $3.89, and i was like, i'm going here i called my mom, like, you need to come over here and get gas because it's really cheap right now. >> i've been meaning to get gas but i've been rocking it as close as i can the last minute, hoping it will go down >> reporter: what does the price drop mean for most wallets it's now about $4 less to fill up your tank than it was about a month ago. why is this happening? >> fears of an economic slowdown, which would likely slow down oil consumption, has sent oil prices lower >> reporter: diesel is seeing a decline too and what does this mean in the larger context of the economy? >> any goods you buy at the store, groceries, hardware store, many of these goods are shipped with diesel so the decline in the price of diesel is also helping you to essentially pay less for those goods or will down the road. >> reporter: many, grateful for the

savings and hoping for more >> i mean, if they can make it $2, that would be great >> and priscilla joins me from houston, texas. are those lower prices here to stay >> reporter: well, jose, experts say prices could go down another 5 to 10 cents per gallon over the next week, but it is hurricane season, and demand for fuel during natural disasters could send prices higher jose >> priscilla thompson in houston, thank you. tonight, a race against time at yosemite national park where firefighters are struggling to contain a massive wildfire that's currently burning out of control. and threatening hundreds of the park's famed giant sequoia trees. cal perry is there for us tonight >> reporter: tonight, the urgent battle to save one of yosemite's most valued treasures is heating up. the mariposa grove, home to the largest collection of giant sequoias in the park, some standing here for thousands of years, now under threat from an out of control inferno that's been

tearing through drought-stricken brush since thursday >> it's some of the oldest trees that there are. they're massive giants when you stand next to them. >> reporter: crews are fighting the fire from the air and ground this, the washburn fire, has already ripped across more than 700 acres parts of the park now closed during one of its busiest times. the summer months here typically attract more than a million visitors the flames have forced an estimated 1,600 people to evacuate from a nearby community and popular campground tonight, fears more evacuations may be on the way. >> everybody's been training and preparing for this and that is what everyone is here to do, fight that fire >> over the washburn incident, yosemite national park, mariposa county. >> reporter: all of yosemite is under what the california drought monitor calls extreme or exceptional drought with almost no rainfall in recent months, conditions are primed for fires to burn hotter and for longer periods of time we're now here inside the mariposa grove and as you can see, the fire has already burned through this section of the grove

but it's still very much active in other parts, and so much of the success that firefighters may have in the coming days is going to depend on the conditions jose >> cal perry, thank you. thousands of abortions rights activists took to the streets across the country today, many with a new focus, to push president biden to do more maura barrett is with the president. >> reporter: protests across the country today from chicago to new york, but the biggest was in washington, d.c. and while their anger was directed at the supreme court ruling, the goal was to pressure president biden. some even briefly tying themselves to the white house fence. >> what we have going on is a massive human rights violation in our country, and he's not responding to that level. >> reporter: protesters pushing the president to do more to protect abortion rights >> i just don't feel like things that have been occurring are

-- really demonstrat what the mass of the american people want >> this is not acceptable, by any means, and these people need to be held accountable, and they need to do their jobs. >> reporter: the demonstration, just 24 hours after biden signed an executive order to protect some abortion rights. >> i'm asking the justice department that much like they did in the civil rights era, to do something, to do everything in their power to protect these women seeking to invoke their rights. >> reporter: the executive order ensures fda-approved medication for abortion remains widely accessible along with contraception. it also protects patient privacy when women seek out reproductive medical services but for some on the left, it's not enough. one abortion rights leader calling for a public health emergency declaration. >> it is definitely not off the table. also doesn't release a significant amount of legal authority. >> reporter: this as ten states now have abortion bans in place after a judge in louisiana lifted a

temporary block. as more states with trigger laws set to take effect this summer >> maura is with the president in delaware tonight. maura, the house plans to vote on abortion rights next week >> reporter: on tuesday, the house will vote to codify roe v. wade and to protect interstate travel for abortions, but this is not expected to pass the senate jose >> maura barrett, thank you very much. it was a chaotic scene in sri lanka today. thousands of protesters stormed the presidential palace and took it over, all captured in jaw-dropping videos. the president of the small island country just south of india was ultimately forced to resign. here's meagan fitzgerald >> reporter: tonight, thousands of sri lankans reaching a breaking point, protesters storming the presidential palace, swimming in the pool, working out in the palace gym and occupying the president's office one protester saying, i'm not wrong in

saying that we have won this struggle today. the president now announcing he'll be stepping down next week and hours after the prime minister vowed to resign, protesters torched his home >> at the moment, things are moving successfully and i think ultimately we will be successful and at the end, we will make a good change for our country. >> reporter: change is what these protesters have been fighting for since march. they say government corruption has crippled the economy, leading to a fuel crisis and poverty the united nations estimating over a quarter of the country is currently food insecure today's protests following a violent night, the capital under curfew after police fired tear gas on demonstrators it's just the latest chapter in the country's long history of bloody civil unrest the island nation is fed up and pushing back for a better future

meagan fitzgerald, nbc news japan is mourning the shocking loss of its former prime minister, shinzo abe, after he was assassinated yesterday. tonight, we have new details about the gunman's motive and growing questions about the weapon he used and why there was such a massive lapse in security. janis mackey frayer has more >> reporter: tonight, the body of former prime minister shinzo abe is back at home in tokyo. his wife riding in the front seat of his hearse, driven seven hours from nara, where he was assassinated. all across japan, mourners turned out to pay their respects i'm really shocked because i thought abe would continue his efforts to make the country better, she said the assassination caught on camera friday morning abe was giving a campaign speech when there was a shot fired. in another angle, you can see him turn briefly before a second shot hit him. abe collapsed as the suspected gunman was tackled. today, the nara police chief regretfully

admitted to failures in security protocols. as more questions arise over what police described as a homemade shotgun, video shows metal pipes and tape lying on the street after the attack >> if the person's determined and they can access the materials they need, including gunpowder, some kind of improvised firing mechanism, then they just have to tie together some pipe and wood and tape and be willing to go out and use it. >> reporter: police now say 41-year-old suspect tetsuya yamagami had a grudge against a religious group that he believed was linked to abe in a country that saw only one gun death last year, the assassination of japan's longest serving prime minister has shaken not just the country but the entire world the funeral for shinzo abe will be held early next week in tokyo and will be limited to family and those closest to him it isn't clear whether there will be any public memorial service for a country that is deeply in shock.

jose >> janis mackey frayer, thank you. still ahead tonight, will the parents of the alleged highland park shooter also face criminal charges? their new lawyer speaks out for the first time also, twitter's new plan to take on elon musk as he tries to back out of the deal to buy the social media giant.

there is anger and mourning in highland park today. as one victim was laid to rest, residents took to the streets, calling for change

this as questions swirl around the parents of the gunman and whether they should be held liable for his actions. their new lawyer now speaking out for the first time to our kathy park >> reporter: tonight, more heartache in highland park. >> the father and the son and the holy spirit. >> reporter: as another victim of the july 4th shooting is laid to rest this community's grief now turning into passionate pleas for action >> yes, thoughts and prayers are wonderful, but we need to do more we all do. >> reporter: hundreds in the community demanding an end to gun violence and a ban on assault weapons >> we deserve to all be safe and to be free to live our lives without the threat of gun violence >> reporter: authorities say the accused gunman confessed to the shooting but hasn't shared a motive, putting pressure on law enforcement to answer just how the suspect slipped through the system and legally got ahold of the ar-15-style weapon his father sponsored the gun permit application. george gomez is a new attorney representing

the suspect's parents. why did the father sign the gun permit? >> he didn't believe at any point that he was, you know, a danger to anyone at the moment. >> reporter: could his dad be held accountable? >> it's going to be really difficult to hold a parent responsible for the crimes or civil wrongs of an adult child after they've reached the age of majority. >> reporter: newly released police records allegedly paint a turbulent family life with at least nine calls to their home between 2010 and 2014 for domestic disputes. in april 2019, he attempted to commit suicide by machete and five months later, records say he threatened to kill everyone when police asked if he was going to harm himself or others, he replied, no. how did dad not realize that his son could potentially be a threat with this weapon >> you know, i've spoken to the family, both mother and father, about the 2019 incidents. they dispute the accuracy of that

report wholly. i mean, when police arrived, it wasn't for the purposes of any type of suicide. >> and kathy joins us now from highland park we have some news tonight about one of the youngest victims. >> reporter: jose, that is right. 8-year-old cooper roberts is paralyzed from the waist down but he is showing signs of improvement he is conscious. he's off his ventilator he's also asking for his twin brother and his dog, george. meanwhile, out here, there is a growing memorial for all the victims in this shooting jose >> kathy park in highland park, thank you. we are back in a moment with retirement dreams dashed, how inflation is forcing many to delay their golden years and we remember the scene-stealing star from "the sopranos."

we're back with a new front in the fight between twitter and billionaire elon musk. twitter says it will take musk to court to enforce his $44 billion acquisition of the social media giant this comes after musk notified twitter that he wants to terminate the deal because the company didn't provide relevant business information. many legal experts say it could turn into a long legal war now to some sad news tonight tony sirico, the actor best known as the character paulie walnuts on "the sopranos" has died sirico played the wisecracking gangster on the hbo hit for six seasons. before that, he appeared in many woody allen films and the movie "goodfellas.

sirico was also an army veteran he was 79 years old. in the world of sports there is a new wimbledon champion tonight. elena rybakina won the women's singles final. it's the 23-year-old's first grand slam title and also the first for the country she represents, kazakhstan she previously played for russia, but she switched nationalities in 2018. one big part of the american dream is moving further out of reach for many retirement rising prices and shrinking 401(k)s are now forcing some to delay their retirement plans while others have been forced back to work to make ends meet erin mclaughlin has more >> reporter: randall brady's dream retirement was just around the corner. >> my original goal was to retire in five to six years. >> reporter: the michigan-based father of four had planned to retire from his job as a product line manager at the age of 62, but he says those plans

are now in peril >> what's happening in the stock market, what's happening with inflation, even worries about taxation, it's really set me back. >> reporter: in the last six months, brady has lost 20% of his retirement savings both he and his son have started a side hustle, teaching computer coding and other tech skills to help make up the shortfall. still, he says he's even worried about his new plan to retire at 67 >> is social security going to be there? is inflation still going to be there? >> reporter: brady is not alone. according to a new study from bmo harris, one in four americans are now delaying their retirement due to financial concerns >> when people think of retirement, they think of lying back at the beach or spending time visiting your grandkids or traveling or things like that. and if the price of food and the price of gas and the price of just about everything else is going up, that means that you're going to have to cut

some corners >> reporter: the white house is now proposing a new plan that will bail out as many as 3 million workers and retirees who faced pension cuts due to investment losses. but many say they're not waiting for government help. teacher stephen white says after retiring a few years early due to the pandemic, he's already back at work as a substitute to make ends meet >> i taught economics and government in high school for 23 years, and i understand how the system works i just didn't feel i was in a comfortable enough spot to not work right now, at least while prices are as high as they are. >> reporter: what is your advice to someone right now? >> work longer maximize your social security benefits. and more than anything else, make a plan. make a budget. figure out what you can afford >> reporter: experts say now is not the time to keep spending like there's no tomorrow erin mclaughlin, nbc news when we come back, the surprise gift that created a powerful new

connection between two families thousands of miles apart.

there's good news tonight about happy accidents and how one woman turned a simple mistake into a special surprise for a brand-new family >> oh, yeah. >> when candace countryman and david

amosda found out they were expecting their first baby, they couldn't wait to start celebrating, so earlier this year, the southern california couple sent out e-vites for a baby shower ahead of daughter luna's arrival, but one invite accidentally went to the wrong person a stranger named angela white living 2,000 miles away in indiana. >> you ignored it but not for long >> not for long. it just kept kind of this gut feeling i was having there's a reason why i received that text message. >> reporter: angela, a busy mom of four with a husband in the army simply couldn't put it out of her mind so guided by her faith and joy for the young family, she spent weeks hand-knitting a cozy baby blanket similar to this one for little luna. >> we have been on the receiving end of kindness before from strangers, and other people kind of paying it forward, and i just wanted to do the same thing. >> reporter: the unexpected gift overwhelming the new parents. candace, what kind of

touched you about it all? >> it just was amazing. she could have just ignored the text message. >> reporter: the special package came with a note too, reading, in part, i'm sure you're wondering who the heck i am. i received an e-vite text message to attend your baby shower angela added, i did feel a tugging in my heart to send you something for your new arrival. >> candace and i both are in tears as we're reading the card, but it was super sweet. >> reporter: connected by this new little life, both families are now friends and believe this was much more than just a coincidence. >> i'm excited also to share this story with luna when she's old enough to know about it and know, you know, like, hey, auntie angela in indiana sent you a blanket. >> so, david and candace, what do you want luna to know? >> i think really, it's just putting other people first, you know, is a good thing, and i think that's one thing that we're going to kind of build off of, just care and kindness.

and sleep. >> both families hope the surprise connection will turn into a lifelong bond that's nbc "nightly news" for this saturday. kate snow will be here tomorrow night i'm jose diaz-balart reporting from new york thank you for the privilege of your time good night