tonight the hollywood writers strike on the verge of coming to an end, sources telling nbc news an agreement has been made. the two sides are just hammering out the language. why artificial intelligence is one of the final sticking points and how quickly will your favorite shows be back on the air? celebrations at mission control after an historic nasa first. this capsule plunging back to earth carrying

samples taken directly from an asteroid. the secrets of the universe it may help unlock. >> for the first time in history we brought goodies back home from this kind of object. thousands without power along the east coast after the remnants of tropical storm ophelia took down trees and flooded streets and the new storm threat developing. the moment border patrol agents cut this barbed wire fence open to let more than a hundred migrants in. why it may have saved their lives. pressure is building on new jersey senator bob menendez. new calls from within his own party to resign. >> i do believe it is in the best interests for senator menendez to resign. washington hurtling toward a possible government shutdown. what it means from social security checks to airplane safety. the record shattering run. the woman who just made marathon history. >> announcer: this is

nbc nightly news with kate snow. good evening. as we come on the air there are strong signals the writers strike affecting so many of our favorite shows and movies may finally be coming to an end. nbc news has new reporting tonight on how close to a deal the two sides are and the details that still need to be hammered out before there is a final agreement. the writers guild and major studios have been meeting for hours today after a lengthy session on saturday, too. there is incentive to find a deal. in august, alone, the entertainment industry lost 17,000 jobs related to the writers strike and parallel actors strike that started in july. if the writers strike ends late night talk shows could come back almost immediately but it could be longer before scripted shows return. >> reporter: tonight hollywood's 146-day writers strike could end at any moment. >> what do we want? >> fair pay! >> reporter: two sources familiar with

the negotiations telling nbc news the two sides have come to agreement but are haggling over language in the deal. the writers guild and amptp which represents hollywood streaming services and studios including nbc universal's parent company comcast met for the fifth straight day of negotiations, sources saying the hold up is language around artificial intelligence, writers fearing ai technology could take over script and story writing duties and cut them out of jobs. other sticking points, sources say, have been resolved like residual payments for streaming shows and higher wages. >> we have seen in the past ten years a massive shift in the way things work in this industry. streaming becoming the predominant platform being but one of them. to make a 21st century deal in many ways they had to lose some of the 20th century labor relations methods they were using. >> reporter: if a deal is reached with the wga late night shows like jimmy fallon and seth meyers on nbc could make a reappearance within

days. same with daytime talk shows like the drew barrymore show and the jennifer hudson show. but sag-aftra which represents over 100,000 actors is still on strike. >> not going to see anyone in front of the camera until the actors union makes their deal. then you will see a ramp up from three weeks to six weeks to get scripts in place, productions up and running, and then get the productions starting and seeing things being filmed. that really starts impacting the summer blockbuster season for 2024 which can be a big, big hit to the studios' bottom line. >> there is another major sign things could be wrapping up? >> yes. the big hollywood heavyweights the executives that run the studios were not at the negotiating table today or yesterday which is another sign that we are inching close tower a deal hopefully coming today. >> thanks so much for that reporting. it was an historic first for nasa today when a tiny capsule plummeted back to earth. inside it, samples taken directly from an

asteroid. scientists hope it could shed light on the origins of the universe. liz kreutz has more. >> reporter: it is an out of this world journey, seven years and 4 billion miles in the making. >> src has entered earth's atmosphere. >> reporter: tonight nasa's first ever sample from an asteroid has touched down on earth. >> touchdown! >> reporter: the space capsule carrying the precious sample entering the atmosphere sunday morning traveling at more than 27,000 miles an hour reaching temperatures of more than 5,000 degrees eventually landing in the utah desert. >> seeing it sitting perfectly on the desert floor, hard to articulate what that means after so, so much put into this mission. >> reporter: inside the capsule a half-pound sample of rocks and dust collected from an asteroid called bennu which scientists say could one day crash into the earth and

could also hold important clues to the origins of our solar system. why this asteroid? what is so special about this one? >> we think of asteroids as pristine time capsules from the very, very early formation of our solar system. we hope to learn more about the building block material that made our own planet billions of years ago. >> lift-off. >> the mission began in 2016 with the spacecraft traveling years to reach the asteroid 200 million miles away from earth. >> it was a challenging feat to do. the asteroid's surface is kind of like a rubble pile, which we didn't expect. it is kind of like if you were to stand on a children's ball pit you would fall right into the ball pit. >> reporter: despite challenges, success. finally back on earth, today scientists retrieving the charred capsule, anxiously waiting to unlock the secrets held inside. >> liz joins us now. this is so cool. getting these samples to earth was just the first part of the mission, right? >> reporter: that's

right. the sample will be sent to nasa johnson space center for examination. as for the spacecraft after it dropped the capsule off it turned around and went back out for another mission to a new asteroid. kate? >> liz, thank you. thousands of people are without power along the east coast tonight after the remnants of tropical storm ophelia downed power lines and flooded streets and the storm isn't over yet. >> reporter: tropical storm ophelia lashing the eastern seaboard, flooding streets and parking lots before weakening to a post tropical cyclone. thousands of homes and businesses still in the dark across north carolina, virginia, maryland, and new jersey. after winds of up to 70 miles an hour damaged power lines. an investigation under way in pennsylvania after a home exploded when a tree fell potentially causing a gas leak. >> emergency management planned for this and they were able to evacuate a home that cares for elderly and people with special needs.

>> reporter: the storm dumping almost 9 inches of rain in parts of north carolina and more than 5 in parts of virginia. nearly 9 million people under coastal flood alerts. >> it's been very rough and this wind here is killing me. i think it is a 20-mile-per-hour wind. >> reporter: jeff mason a long island park director says the growing threat of storms has changed the nature of his job. >> about 60% of the job is prepping and thinking about the new challenges that are ahead of us. >> reporter: ophelia will camp out in the south for the next 24 hours but the remnants will be felt into the monday morning commute with winds up to 35 miles per hour and the risk of flash floods. >> antonia is with us now. after ophelia moves out it looks like another one right behind? >> reporter: that is right, kate. now, all eyes are on another storm making its way off the coast of west africa expected to strengthen in coming days but projections have it staying east of the u.s. >> thank you.

house republican leadership was working through this weekend trying to avert a government shutdown but the deadline is now less than a week away and there are still strong divisions within the gop. monica alba has the latest. >> reporter: time is running out tonight for congress to avoid a government shutdown. now just six days away. speaker mccarthy expressing optimism despite no outward signs of progress this weekend. >> i think we are able to work through this at the end of the day get there. >> reporter: house republicans who control the process are divided on a path forward. conservative hardliners pushing for deeper cuts not backing down today. >> this dysfunctional washington cannot continue. that is why folks like me, you know, we're sticking to our guns. all of a sudden we're the bad guys because we want to balance our budget. >> reporter: even threatening to oust the speaker. >> that would be something i would look strongly at. >> reporter: president biden saturday slamming the hard right republicans. >> running the government is one of

the basic responsibilities of congress and it is time for the republicans to start doing the job america elected them to do. >> reporter: there are some efforts to avert a shutdown. some moderates in the gop have pledged to work with democrats. >> we're going to do whatever we need to do to do our job to keep the government open. our district wants us to keep america running. >> reporter: if the government does shut down federal employees and service members won't get pay checks. food safety programs would be affected. thousands of kids would lose access to government pre-k and national parks could close. all while essential workers like air traffic controllers will have to keep working unpaid. >> think how stressful that job is on the best of days and now we'd be asking them to show up to work with the added stress of not getting a paycheck. >> reporter: not impacted? social security checks and mail delivery. the list of affected services could expand, depending on how long the shutdown lasts. monica is with us now from the white house where they are preparing as if a shutdown is likely.

>> reporter: exactly. the white house asked all federal agencies to update contingency plans and figure out how many employees would be furloughed acting as if the shutdown is all but certain. kate? >> thank you. also in washington, new jersey democratic senator bob menendez indicted on sprawling bribery charges is facing growing pressure to resign including from two prominent figures in his own party this weekend. we have the latest from capitol hill. >> reporter: new calls tonight from members of his own party for indicted senator bob menendez to resign. >> i believe it is in the best interests for senator menendez to resign. >> reporter: despite the new jersey democrat denying any wrongdoing and saying he is not going anywhere, indicating he will fight the bribery charges against him. and accusing the growing list of officials urging him to step down of, quote, rushing to judge a latino. >> as a latina there are absolutely ways in which there is

systemic bias but i think what is here in this indictment is quite clear. >> reporter: menendez facing his second corruption indictment in less than a decade. this time he and his wife accused of a sweeping bribery scheme. prosecutors alleging the chair of the powerful foreign relations committee accepted gold bars and cash in an illegal effort to help three businessmen and egyptian officials. nearly the entire congressional delegation from his state saying menendez can't continue to serve and john fetterman becoming the first democrat senator to say menendez, quote, cannot continue to wield influence over national policy. >> i've called on him given the gravity of charges to step aside. >> reporter: new york congressman george santos himself the target of a federal investigation with a different take. do you think senator menendez should resign? >> i think everybody is innocent until proven guilty. i don't think he should resign, no. >> julie joins us live from capitol hill. we just learned senator menendez will

hold a press conference tomorrow? >> reporter: that's right. he'll hold a press conference tomorrow in mudson county, new jersey. he does not intend to resign according to a source directly involved in the planning. on wednesday menendez will appear in federal court in manhattan. >> thank you. still ahead tonight the growing crisis at the border and why these border patrol agents cut through barbed wire to save lives. plus you doors lead us to places we've never been. w your dedicated fidelity advisor can help you open those doors. they can help you create a retirement-income plan designed to balance growth and guaranteed income. and provide access to specialists who help with estate planning to look out for future generations so you're not just growing and protecting your wealth. you're sharing it. because doors were meant to be opened. great job, everybody! salonpas, makers of powerful pain relief patches for 89 years...

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we are back with a humanitarian crisis at the southern border. more migrants are crossing into the u.s. and this weekend some border patrol agents took drastic measures to try to save lives. guad venegas reports from the border. >> reporter: tonight dramatic moments at the border showing the desperation and determination from people trying to get into the u.s. border patrol agents making a life saving decision cutting the razor wire fence to rescue this group of migrants carrying young children then pulling them out of the dangerous barrier. the group got stuck after crossing the rio grandee in eagle pass, texas, where thousands have arrived this week. others finding ways to avoid the razor wire. >> so they climbed on to these containers from the river and now border patrol is helping them get out.

they say they want to contribute something to the united states and help their families back home. 400 miles away, the mayor of el paso is sounding the alarm. >> the city of el paso only has so many resources and we are at a breaking point right now. >> reporter: a new shelter opening its doors to help as migrants continue arriving south of the border. in san diego the local rapid response network stretched to capacity, saying in a statement we cannot provide respite shelter and services to all the people seeking asylum that dhs is releasing. amid the crisis dhs secretary mayorkas visiting the border over the weekend. >> most recently congress has yet to act on our request for $4 billion in funding and resources. >> reporter: with cities like eagle pass bracing for a wave that continues to make its way through mexico and headed to the border.

>> guad, you are saying more people are making their way to the border. just how many are officials expecting? >> reporter: kate, we think there could be tens of thousands traveling from mexico just here in eagle pass alone hundreds arriving on every freight train with those migrants telling me thousands more are waiting to hitch hike on more trains so there is no way of telling how many will arrive at the border, kate. >> guad venegas for us, thank you. we are back in a moment with the major reversal across the countr reversal across the countr y. family is just very important. she's my sister and, we depend on each other a lot. she's the rock of the family. she's the person who holds everything together. ♪♪ it's a battle, you know i'm going to be there. keytruda and chemotherapy meant treating my cancer with two different types of medicine. in a clinical trial, keytruda and chemotherapy was proven to help people live longer than chemotherapy alone. keytruda is used to treat more patients with advanced lung cancer than any other immunotherapy.

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needed school resource officers known as sros. in olympia some parents are now fighting to bring them back. frank has two kids in schools in the district and is running for school board. >> these are specially trained police officers who have gone through direct training to know exactly how to best approach these students in these situations. >> the school board now moving to reinstate them and they are not alone. denver public schools got rid of its sros in 2020. >> we began with another shooting and sad commentary on violence. >> reporter: after two school shootings the district brought them back this year and also returned to certain districts in california, maryland, and virginia. >> not all students are safe with armed police officers on campus. >> reporter: this woman is on the olympia school board and opposes school police even after the guns were found on campus. >> there are parents who say these officers

do make kids safer. what do you say to them? >> their children may be safer but are from a certain demographic and group. we have just as many saying absolutely not. >> reporter: research shows black students are involved in more than 80% of violent police encounters in schools and students with disabilities more than 25%. a concerned voice by students in olympia >> i, a student, am not at all comfortable with police walking the same hall with me. >> reporter: as parents work toward a common goal. >> we need to trust that our kids are going to a safe place. >> at the end of the day it is about saving or protecting. >> reporter: with different solutions. priscilla thompson, nbc news. when we come back, there is good news tonight. the moving reason this groom asked someone he ha neverd my name's dan and i live here in san antonio, texas. my wife magda and i have been married for 39 years. about three or four years ago, i wasn't feeling as if i was as sharp as i used to be. i wanted to try something that was over-the-counter.

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there is good news tonight about the kindness of strangers and unbreakable bonds that gave one man a second chance at life and true love. >> ben, you may kiss your bride. >> reporter: when ben clark and jamie uhl got married in iowa this month ben's best man was someone he met for the first time a day before. >> hi. nice to meet you. >> you bet. >> reporter: he traveled all the way from sweden to walk ben down the aisle. >> ladies and gentlemen i am honored to introduce ben's best man. [ applause ] >> what was it like to meet?

>> it was great. great to meet the first time. obviously wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. >> you feel it. >> jan and ben bound by a life saving gift. more than ten years ago, and thousands of miles away, jan was a match when ben needed a stem cell transplant for a rare form of blood cancer. jan donated his stem cells through dkms an international nonprofit dedicated to the fight against blood disorders. a simple procedure that he says took just a couple hours. >> jan, was it difficult? >> no. not at all. >> we're proof right here though. somebody from sweden can save somebody's life here in the midwest. >> reporter: the two of them remained strangers until ben reached out to jan on e-mail a few years back and when ben proposed to jamie -- >> could i see those

rings? >> reporter: he knew he wanted jan standing by his side. >> it was pretty overwhelming. you know, we -- without him i wouldn't be here. you know, that's what this is all about. >> reporter: ben giving his best man this gift with the engravings, thank you for giving me life. i am forever grateful. >> you think you'll be connected the rest of your life? >> absolutely. >> what does it say about the human spirit? >> sometimes you can do tiny things that are just right to do. it can have a big impact. >> tiny things. and a quick note. my latest edition of the drink features 20-year-old singer steven sanchez, always about how someone got to the top. we talk over milk shakes about his new album about how his throwback sound came from listening to his grandfather's vinyl. you'll want to hear how he ended up on stage with elton john all at nbc news.com/the drink or

on our "nightly news" podcast. that is "nbc nightly news" this sunday. i'm kate snow. stay here for sunday night football in just a few minutes. for allf us here at o